/$$ /$$ /$$ /$$ /$$$$$$
| $$$ /$$$| $$ /$ | $$ /$$__ $$
| $$$$ /$$$$| $$ /$$$| $$|__/ \ $$
| $$ $$/$$ $$| $$/$$ $$ $$ /$$$$$/
| $$ $$$| $$| $$$$_ $$$$ |___ $$
| $$\ $ | $$| $$$/ \ $$$ /$$ \ $$
| $$ \/ | $$| $$/ \ $$| $$$$$$/
|__/ |__/|__/ \__/ \______/
_____ _ _ _ _
| __ \ (_) | | | | | |
| |__) |___ _ _ __ | |_ ___| |_ _ __ ___ __ _| | _____
| ___// _ \| | '_ \| __/ __| __| '__/ _ \/ _` | |/ / __|
| | | (_) | | | | | |_\__ \ |_| | | __/ (_| | N/A -> N/A C-130 airdrop
Osprey Gunner 17 Low 3000? 80 sec 2 Flares* Laptop
Escort Airdrop 18 Low 3000? 80 sec 2 Flares* Laptop
Juggernaut Recon 18 Ground 1000 + regen Riot shield c-130 airdrop
EMP 18 N/A N/A 60 sec N/A Button
MOAB 25 N/A N/A 60 sec N/A Button
* And a buttload of health, making Stingers/Javelins the only reliable option.
{C} Assault Killstreaks
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
UAV - 3 kills with Assault Strike Package, 4 kills with Support Strike Package
- Unmanned Aireal Vehicle that scans the area for targets for 30 seconds
- Flies high, 700 health, easy to get, easy to use, easy to kill
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basics:
The UAV, or unmanned aerial vehicle, is the lowest killstreak in the game, and
is accessible from the moment you get Create a Class. Calling in a UAV causes
an unmanned plane to randomly spawn, at high height, somewhere in the skies.
UAVs stick around for 30 seconds, moving slowly high in the sky, before
accelarating off the map once those 30 seconds are up. During that time, it
will sweep your radar, giving the position of all enemies, regardless of
location, as a flickering red dot.
Tactics:
Because UAVs are the lowest killstreak, they are the easiest for beginner
players to get. UAVs have never been percieved as terribly powerful, as they
are easily gotten, easily shot down, and help the player only passively. On the
other hand, they are a valuable resource for the team as a whole, as during
those 30 seconds you know more about the enemy then they do about you. Thus it
is often used as a springboard for higher streaks along with the Predator
missile, or as part as a low-level killstreak stack in a Support package.
UAVs are a good low-level "launcher" killstreak, but are somewhat rarely used
by advanced players who know they can do better. They are much more useful in
Search and Destroy, where you get few kills anyway and knowing where your foe
is is immensely more important.
It is best to coordinate UAVs. If you call in two, you halve the sweep time and
make it harder for your foe to completely destroy your coverage. But it's
really a waste; you're better off having two consecutive UAVs, doubling your
time coverage instead. On the other hand, if you call in THREE UAVs, they stack
togethor into an Advanced UAV, which sweeps enemies as moving arrows (showing
you where they are going and how to jump them) with a fast sweep time, and this
is indeed useful, especially if there is little time left.
Counter-tactics:
UAVs have only 700 health and no flares. They can be destroyed by aggressively
firing weapons at them, preferably LMGs; however, because this is wasteful of
ammo and people rarely coordinate, people rarely do this unless they are of
above average intelligence and using Scavenger Pro (which eliminated ammo
concerns). Still, if you start firing at a UAV, a teammate might pitch in and
bring it down. Mics are helpful for reminding people they can do this.
A far better choice for shooting it down is a launcher. The SMAV works fine,
but because the rocket is slow and the UAV is high, it will get two or three
sweeps in anyway. A Stinger is, as usual, a better choice, giving you two
rockets (for two UAVs?) and moving three times as fast as the SMAV. As donning
the Stinger makes you committed anti-air, if you have one and spot it, you
really should be shooting it down as soon as you get the chance; if one comes
up while you are running around it is often a good idea to scan the skies and
shoot it down. They should be your most common target.
The UAV's best protection is how difficult it is to see. Sometimes you will
spot it right away, and sometimes it will be blocked from view by a building
or whatnot and you will not be able to see it, and thus shoot at it, at all.
Sometimes it's better to give up then keep looking and get shot by a passing
SMG runner who tracked you down by his radar.
If you cannot shoot it down, then you are making things easier for the enemy.
I've always mandated that there should be two people, or one as a bare minimum,
on a team with Stingers, and this is one of the reasons why (I'll explain the
other in a second). Your best bet is to either stack up with your team and
"occupy" an area, or camp erratically, moving slowly but checking all your
exits. You do NOT want to stand in place. Trapping an entry with a Claymore/
Betty and waiting for them to come by can also work, but beware of flash/stun/
frag/semtex spam. Being on a building with multiple floors in a plus as well.
If you are holding onto a Counter-UAV, as soon as an enemy UAV is in the air
is the best time to call it.
If you have Assassin, you are undetectable by UAVs. This is actually much more
useful then it sounds; when UAVs are up enemies tend to be much bolder, moving
more quickly toward where they know the enemy is. This works in your favor, as
it takes time to put up the gun after sprinting across the map to where your
team "actually" is, working immensely in your favor, and you might actually
not want the things to be shot down at all, although this is harmful to the
rest of your team.
Difference from Modern Warfare 2:
Besides the triple stack feature, none.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Care Package - 4 kills with Assualt Strike Package
- Second lowest killstreak gives you a taste of the highlights
- Kills obtained with it do not stack
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basics:
The Care Package is the second lowest killstreak in the Assualt Strike Package.
It takes 4 kills with the Assualt Strike Package to achieve; upon recieving it
you are given a smoke marker, which you can throw on the ground to show where
the package, a crate with a random killstreak, will be dropped. The point of
the Care Package is that it allows early users to try out some of the later
killstreaks; the box can have anything from ammo to a Juggernaut Suit, but the
higher killstreak, the lower the chances.
Fun fact: a Care Package, if it drops on you or an opponent, will kill them
instantly. This is one of the few truly 100% lethal ways to kill a Juggernaut
in one shot, and damned funny (and damned rare) when it happens. There's even
an achievement for it, if you happen to run into someone AFK/the world's most
oblivious sniper.
Tactics:
Drop it somewhere safe, wait for it to arrive, and then use what you get; as
whatever comes out of the crate doesn't stack, it's not particularly important
to release it as soon as you get it, and generally better to wait until you
die first (unless there isn't enough time left). If you got something good,
enjoy it! If not, use what you got and hope for better luck on the next one.
Note that Care Packages can be stolen by teammates (this should only happen if
you die, you pick it up much more quickly) and enemies (if they kill you and
take your prize). However, the latter rarely happens, see below. Also, try not
to have it land out of bounds; if you cannot reach it you cannot use it, and
it would really suck to see an EMP or something similar go to waste.
Counter-tactics:
Care Packages are rarely intercepted, as they are delivered by lightning fast
Little Bird drop. While it IS possible to shoot down the Little Bird, even the
fastest method, the Stinger, can rarely get to it before it has dropped its
load for the player. If it IS shot down, however, it drops the package it was
carrying wherever it was shot down, and this can be adventagous if you have a
Stinger and a clear view of it entering the map.
They're also rarely stolen, because of the introduction of the Airdrop Trap,
a booby trapped verion of this, which looks enticing (ooooh!?! an AC 130?!?)
and then blows up on you when you try to claim it. People are wary of care
packages that are simply laying around for any period of time, but if you see
an enemy try to claim it, or shoot someone waiting in a corner waiting for a
package to arrive, it's likely the Real Deal, and should be treated
accordingly (ae. blowing their brains out and stealing it if possible).
Care Packages will never have Counter UAVs, Airdrop Traps, other Care Packages,
a MOAB, an Osprey Gunner, or an Escort Airdrop. Of these only the first one is
really strange. In addition, there is currently a bug where carrying an I.M.S.
in your inventory will garuntee any crate dropped to also be an I.M.S.
Stealing them:
There are several ways to tell Airdrop Traps and real Care Packages apart.
First of all, if it's a low level streak like a UAV, it is never an Airdrop
Trap (not enticing enough), and you can safely claim it, although the higher
the streak the higher the chances it's not real (and you should walk away from
anything higher then a Sentry Gun). SitRep highlights non-real packages in red,
allowing you to distinguish them easily 100% of the time. Blast Shield prevents
the explosive damage from being lethal to you, making it worth it to try and
claim one that comes your way. Other things that do this are the Riot Shield
and a Ballistic Vest.
This one's a bit harder to do, but Care Packages take longer to aquirre then
booby-trapped ones. Therefore, if is seems to be going along too quickly, leave
it alone before it blows up in your face. The times are about 5 seconds for a
real crate and about 3 for a Airdrop Trap.
Demo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBrkXxsgylk - This may be from Survival, but it
shows perfectly how lethal and humerous a Care Package dropkill is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyEilQPV_k4 - Same, but in multiplayer.
Difference from Modern Warfare 2:
Besides having different streaks, none.
_______________________________________________________________________________
I.M.S. - 5 killstreak for the Assualt Package
- Competes with the Sentry Gun for area defense, shoots 4 lethal shells
- Defends a smaller area better, once you hear it go off you're screwed
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basics:
The I.M.S. is the first new killstreak on the Assualt list. A piece of in-game
intel chips "Once you hear the I.M.S. go off, it's too late.", and this is
quite true. The IMS competes with the Sentry Gun, taking the same amount of
kills to achieve. Overall, it defends a smaller radius and has no line-of-sight
(and is, thus, easier to destroy from range), but is better at what it does.
Once deployed, the I.M.S. can shoot up to 4 munitions upwards, which, a second
later, shoot an explosive shell downwards, killing anyone that strayed in its
path. It is almost 100% accurate; the intel is right, once it goes off, you're
done. Think of it as a much stronger Bouncing Betty.
Tactics:
The I.M.S. is an area explosive device, and quite different from a Sentry Gun
gun in that it hates open spaces. The best place to put an I.M.S. is in a nice
shady spot that people like to drop into/walk by, so that they can be suprised
and quickly killed by the charge. Don't make it TOO enclosed, though, or else
their last action might be to run up to it and knife it to destroy it. Using
an I.M.S. effectively is all about finding the map's sweet spots, commonly
travelled areas that can be exploited by a suprise death hail. Also, believe it
or not, it actually doesn't need much vertical space to operate; one of the
most effective spots is in the pipeline on Hardhat.
Counter-tactics:
The I.M.S. is problematic to deal with because it is not fazed by flashes or
stuns, can survive a few grenade or semtex hits, and is generally quite hardly
with 1000 armored (bullets are less effective) health. The Trophy System can
shoot down 2 of the I.M.S. rounds, so if you can set one up close enough (only
realistically possible with knowledge of its blast radius and sleigh of hand)
you can run up to it and destroy it. Stalker Pro delays its explosives, letting
you run out of the way and then return to knife it before it can get a round
off. The best counter is, of course, the EMP grenade, which blows it in one
easy hit. Juggernauts can take several I.M.S. hits (three), so they can walk up
to it and knife it.
If one goes off, as the Intel says, you really are screwed - almost always.
Occassionally it may be possible to put a solid surface between you and it
fast enough; I've bled out I.M.S.s before by activating them then running under
a door frame, for instance. Generally though, if it goes off you have about a
second to live, so knife it if you can.
If you can't deal with it, your best bet is to simply not go there. IMSes by
their nature do not cover a very large area, and it is relatively simple to not
go where they can kill you. A good player, of course, will notify, via chat or
mic, the rest of the team of its presence; perhaps someone has a better way to
destroy it then you do.
Demo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lL3iBtRmxQ&feature=related - from the reveal
trailer, a very clear shot of how it works.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcpBU0yuM8M - actual footage
_______________________________________________________________________________
Sentry Gun - 5 Killstreak for the Assault Package
- Tracks a moderate distance, but easily destroyed from behind
- Likes open spaces, unlike the I.M.S.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basics:
The Sentry Gun is an automated turret that can be airdropped in as a package
and then placed in a useful position. From there, it will automatically track
and shoot at targets within a 90 degree angle of its minigun. If it catches
anyone in the open, they are screwed; if they peek out of a window or whatnot,
they might not live either. Compared to the I.M.S., it can control a much
larger area and generally nets more kills if used right, but is fragile and
easy to disable and destroy.
Tactics:
Drop the Sentry Gun on any open area with a moderate view of the battlefield,
point it towards the enemy, and then let the turret do the rest. It can control
a whole area for your team for 90 seconds, especially useful on the B flag on
nearly any map, but as a downside it can't see anyone behind it, doesn't kill
100% of the time like the I.M.S. does, and is more vulnerable to being
destroyed with bold placement. This is one killstreak which the Trophy System
really helps with; a direct hit with a rocket launcher will destroy it
instantly, so you want to keep that from happening.
The turret's minigun will track enemies up to a moderate (ae. non-sniper)
distance away. Its red laser can be easily seen from the side if it does not
bump into something (although it is too thin to see from the kill area), and
a smart player can duck back behind cover before it can track to him and kill
him. It cannot see through glass, but will be able to as soon as whoever is
behind it breaks it. It CAN see perfectly through smoke, which can be
suprising; if you want a laugh and know several people are pinned down by it,
pop a smoke and watch them all waltz out of cover thinking they're safe only
to get chewed up by the minigun.
If you deploy a Sentry Gun, people are likely going to try and flank behind it
using another route, as it is easy to destroy from behind or, with flashes,
stuns, or EMPs, from close range. Preempt this by staying near it and covering
its back; you may get accused of camping, but you'll likely catch and kill
several people trying to destroy YOUR equipment. Of course, if your team is
competent and organizes around the turret, you won't need to be especially
watchful of it as others will help you with the task.
Counter-tactics:
A Sentry Gun has the potential to be a real pain in the ass for you and your
team. While it only lasts 90 seconds, it can hold down a suprisingly large area
perfectly well. The easiest way to destroy it is with an RPG or SMAV; in fact
the Sentry Gun is the only thing that the SMAV is "best" at destroying, as the
rocket is accurate enough to be fired from a distance (compared to the RPG) and
will destroy it instantly with a direct hit. You'll need quick trigger fingers
though, as it can track back to you in a second or so. If they drop a Trophy
System over it, you can't do this nearly as easily.
As with all ground killstreaks, the best possible plan for a Sentry Gun is the
EMP grenade. Get close, toss it, and bam, no more Sentry Gun. Also like all
ground killstreaks, it will fall to a single knife stroke if you get close
enough; you can make it from up to 20 feet away if you flash or stun it twice
in good time. Be wary, however, as its owner or his teammates are likely nearby
monitering it, and may kill you before you get the change to destroy it.
The best method of all is to flank it. If you can handle whatever enemy
presence is in the area long enough, you can run right up to it from behind
without it ever seeing you and destroy it with a knife flick. You can also
shoot it to death, but with 1000 health and no multipliers, this will take a
lot of ammo, and is a Bad Idea if it can see you.
In the end, the most common method is feeding it flash and stun fodder, and
then running up to and destroying it.
Demo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyEilQPV_k4 - How to use a Sentry.
Difference from Modern Warfare 2:
None.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Predator Missile - Also 5 kills with Assault Package
- Call down a missle to rain down Messahia on one or more foes
- Smaller blast radius then MW2, staple "builder" streak
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basics:
The Predator Missile is also a 5 kill killstreak, but unlike the others, it
comes and is gone fairly quickly. Once you earn it, you can pull out a laptop
and launch a missle from up high. Enemies are highlighted in red boxes and are
white; find one or a group in the open, and then hit them with the Predator
Missile for the kill. Note that during the time it is in the air, you are
immobile and vulnerable. Also, pressing the Left Mouse Button fires the
boosters, allowing it to go faster but decreasing manuverability.
Tactics:
The Predator Missile is a staple killstreak for people rolling for AC-130s and
similar killstreaks. In good hands, it is usually a free kill, although you can
get double, triple, or even multikills with it if people are dumb enough to be
that close togethor when one is called in. Everyone sees the incoming Pred the
moment it is declared, and it takes it at least 3 seconds to hit something, so
they have 3 seconds to get to cover; but failing that, usually from being way
out in the open or darting across a street unsucessfully, you will net kills.
Before calling a Predator missile, find a shady spot that you feel can shelter
you for the five seconds it takes to get the missile into somebody. These five
seconds are critical, as if anyone stumbles upon you and kills you, your streak
has already ended before it even began. There's no way to be absolutely sure
you won't be discovered, but knowing good hiding places never hurts.
When targetting multiple people, what you need to do is center the missile
between them. That way they will all recieve it at an equal, hopefully lethal
radius. Knowing just how far is too far is an important and difficult skill; if
the two targets seperate by too far a distance, you risk slamming it between
them, injuring both but not actually killing anyone.
The boosters are extremely useful once you learn to use them. The modus
operatus is to find a target, then boost down to him to not let him escape. On
the other hand, unboosted flight can be used to reach into what are normally
sheltered positions; with good flying skills, one can reach into a house
through a window, or into a basement through a cellar door. You should aim for
people outside, but if you can't find anyone, you may have to try a trick kill
of this fashion.
As for people indoors, the blast radius is wide enough that if you deposit it
a foot from the door, it will kill anyone within several meters of the same
door on the inside, ae. someone trying to escape you through the house.
Predator missiles can shatter glass without exploding, but touching any other
object will cause it to blow. This makes navigating support beams on glass
roofs, ae. in Arkadam, tricky, but not impossible.
The problem with firing a Predator missile is that it has a downward trend;
if you fire it perfectly straight, you'll notice that the missile is
constantly undershooting your marker, and this is doubled if you blast the
booster. This is what makes difficult shots difficult; horizontal risers are
especially challenged, and I've crashed Preds into more support beams then I
care to remember. It's a wonder the buildings didn't collapse on them - oh
wait, forgot, not Battlefield...
There will also be situations where you will see someone approach you as you
fire up the missile, and then boost down to get them before they can kill you.
Be very very careful about these kinds of manuveers, as you can kill yourself
with your own missile!
Players with Blind Eye will not be highlighted by a box or be white. If you
see someone out in the open boldy going opposite to where you think your team
is, it's probably an enemy with Blind Eye, and probably a good a target for a
"Gah, how'd you find me?" kill. Blind Eye players are differenciated from
friendlies because friendlies are marked by a flickering black light, but it's
not always easy to tell.
If you manage to hit them in the head, it's a Predator headshot! Talk
about adding insult to injury :P Lastly, try to get a Pred in them before
one of your teammates kills them, as you might end up wasting it this way.
Shooting other killstreaks:
Although most of the time it's fine to be selfish and use the Predator
missile for yourself, its high positioning and lethal damage means that it can
shoot down many of the stronger late game air and ground killstreaks if they
are terrorizing your team. A list of stuff you can shoot and how hard it is to
hit it follows:
Care Package/Airdrop Trap - Low-flying, fast, difficult to hit, and what the
heck's the point?
Sentry Gun/I.M.S. - On the same killstreak level as the Predator, not
highlighted and thus difficult to find, and not worth wasting a missile on.
Attack Helicopter/Strafe Run - It's easily downed by concentrated fire or a
Stinger, but if there are no other targets, this one is fine - it takes some
of their umph out of the air, and counts as a kill towards your killstreaks
irregardless. Marginally difficult to hit.
Ballistic Vests, Remote Sentry, SAM Turret - Same as the Sentry Gun etc.
AH-6 Overwatch - A smaller and more nimble target then the Attack Helicopter,
but it also moves less as it stalks the player. Also an acceptable target,
but again, only if there is nothing better.
Assault Drone - Difficult to find, but given how much of a pain in the ass
these are for everyone, totally worth it if you can find it.
Recon Drone - Far too small to hit, and not worth it.
Pave Low - This is the first killstreak on this list that you should be
specifically targeting. It's big, slow, hard to take down from the ground, and
chews up friendlies like no one knows what. Whenever you have a Predator and
they have a Pave Low, you should be aiming to destroy it, as yours is the
easiest way.
AC-130 - AC-130s are, like Pave Lows, a worthy target. Problem is, you require
a lot of luck, skill, and frantic mouse scrolling to get the missile, which
does spawn above the AC (if not by much), to hit such a lofty target. You'll
probably miss, but if you don't, it'll be epic.
Osprey Gunner/Escort Airdrop - Big, slow, protects an otherwise vulnerable
commodity, takes multiple hits from the ground to down, these are rare but
should be your absolute #1 priority for a Predator hit when they come up.
Juggernaut/Support Juggernaut - Slow and dangerous, Juggernauts are walking
bomb disposal units, able to walk right through Claymores and even an I.M.S.
and not even flinch. Even with a Predator, you have to hit them directly, not
even a near miss, to kill them in one shot. Still, a Predator is one of the
very few ways to reliably down them, so if you can set loose, do.
Counter-tactics:
Predator missiles come from the air, and only have one shot of killing you;
therefore the best defense against an incoming Predator is to seek shelter in
a covered building as soon as it comes down. If you are in the open, this means
run for the nearest bit of cover you can get to. The most important thing about
Predator missiles is that who they target becomes apparent to everyone halfway
into the flight, at which point it will start to home towards that person on
the minimap and cannot veer far off enough course to get anyone else.
If you are stuck in the open and can't make it to cover, the best thing you can
do is hope that they don't aim at you, or miss if they do. If you are stuck in
the open AND near teammates, you must seperate immedietly. You have about 3
seconds to get as far away from them as possible and deny the operator a
double, triple, or even multikill. If you get lucky they might only get one of
you or dump it between the two of you without killing anyone; if you don't,
well, at least you tried. Some people are stupid and cling to you even when
a Predator is incoming, the best thing you can do then is scream MOVE into
your mic.
Using Blind Eye makes you mostly immune to Predators, as you are not
highlighted and look just like the operator's teammates. This does NOT make
you immune, however; if they spot you anyway and decide to go for you, or you
are near someone who does NOT have Blind Eye, you will be killed regardless.
The best defense against a Predator missile is a Trophy System. You actually
want them to target you, then - the Trophy will shoot it and destroy it without
it ever touching the ground or exploding. A hidden use for a very, very
underrated peice of equipment!
Differences from Modern Warfare 2:
Smaller blast radius.
Demo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFyEkJGpVAQ - Pred multikill.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Precision Airstrike - 6 kills with Assault Package
- Three jet planes fly in and bomb a swatch of land
- Narrow but long hitbox, having a UAV helps immensely
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basics:
When you call a Precision Airstrike, you pull out a laptop and are told to
designate an area and, with use of the right mouse button, a direction in which
to drop it. Upon confirming the area, three jet planes will overfly it and drop
a narrow but long swatch of bombs on it.
Tactics:
First and foremost, you should almost never be calling in a Precision Airstrike
without a UAV. Even if you know people are in a certain area, there is still a
good chance they have moved past it already, and your narrow gauge of bombs
will miss all of them. The UAV's radar positioning helps immensely with
positioning.
Bomb drops are not instantaneous, and it takes about a second and a half for
the first plane to arrive. Therefore you need to anticipate enemy movements;
ok, you see their red dots, but where are they heading? Where will they be in
the time it takes for the package to arrive? These are important considerations
when working with this killstreak, and must be taken into account for getting
those kills.
The layout of the bombs in a narrow but long swatch is great for certain areas
and poor for others. Because spawn areas tend to be wide open, they're poor for
these drops; but narrow chokepoints, especially long hallways, are brilliant
for a bombing run. Any objectives are generally a good target for hitting, as
they are centers of activity and can soften things up for your team, but using
it during a UAV is still better.
Note that if your first strike returns without a kill, you will probably not
get any out of it at all, as enemies will know where it is after the first
plane overflies the location. See also below.
Counter-tactics:
Airstrikes are the lowest air support killstreak, and cannot be shot down,
only avoided. In these terms, however, they are avoided rather easily; with a
narrow swatch of damage, if you are near the edge of the kill radius, as the
plane overflies you can avoid dying by running perpendicular to the drop. If
you are fast enough, you can avoid all damage. You might also be glanced by the
blow, which, if you then move out of range as the second plane comes in, will
also be nonlethal.
Really, the Precision airstrike was underpowered in Modern Warfare 2, and it
remains so in Modern Warfare 3. It can get quite a few kills, but is does not
do so often enough to be terribly useful.
Differences from MW2:
None.
Demo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zj7_1dD8xnU - Precision Airstrike 7 in 1.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Attack Helicopter - 7 kills with Assualt Strike Package
- Mi-24 Hind or an AH-1 Cobra prowls the map for 90 secs
- Dangerous on large maps, but fragile
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basics:
Calling this killstreak will cause a Mi-24 Hind or AH-1 Cobra, depending on
your faction, to arrive on the map and prowl around the skies for 90 seconds.
Both helis are equipped with an FMJ machine gun mounted on their nose, which
does relatively low damage, but does it fast enough to kill within a second and
pierces through material easily thanks to the FMJ bullets. Thus this killstreak
is great for passively getting kills as you remain on the ground. Note that
only one helicopter of any type from either team can be in the air at a time.
Tactics:
The Attack Helicopter in Modern Warfare 3 is upgraded from Modern Warfare 2.
For one thing it doesn't prowl around the map, and instead tends to fixate its
efforts over to where the enemies are, flies better, and is not overpowered by
the Harrier as it was before. In fact, there are no Harriers in this game; the
Attack Helicopter stands alone as a 7 killstreak.
The best thing about this killstreak is that you can call it in and then get
around to doing your buisness, leaving it to prowl along killing whoever it
sees. This frees you from having to sit at a console, like many other
killstreaks, a definite plus. The worst thing about helicopters? They're easy
to shoot down. Now, not quite as easy as UAVs - they have about 3 times the
health - but, without flares, they can be taken out by a single Stinger
missile. Thus its effectiveness is completely dependent on the skill of the
enemy team, as even a single person with a Stinger can easily down it.
Its effectiveness is proportional to the amount of buildings on the
map; the fewer the more targets it can hit, but also the more exposed it is
to enemy fire. Probably the best map for it is Resistance, which has both a
lot of streets and buildings to mask the chopper.
Counter-tactics:
As mentioned above, a single Stinger missile will take it out of the air in an
instant, and you can do so before it can even enter the map by targeting it as
it is arriving. The SMAV does a lot of damage but doesn't quite destroy it;
you'll need to put a significant amount of bullets into it as well if you are
going to attack it this way. A chopper can also be destroyed if you corearse
teammates to mass fire into it; having Scavenger Pro helps. Overall, not
shooting down Helicopters is one of the hallmarks of an ineffective team.
If you are running Blind Eye, the Attack Helicopter will never target you, and
you don't have to worry about it. If you are not, you should be screaming
Stinger over the microphone, and avoiding open places.
Differences from Modern Warfare 2:
Much more effective now.
Demo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiyRtRAxOQo - Attack Helicopter and Pave Low.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Strafe Run - 9 kills with Assualt Strike Package
- Five Mi-24 Hinds or AH-1 Cobras make two wide area passes
- Hits hard, but almost more fragile then a regular chopper
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basics:
When you call out a Strafe Run, you designate a target and direction. A set of
five helicopters then fly in, close to one another, and track and attack
anything on their way to and through the objective. After sweeping across the
whole map, the helicopters turn around and make a second pass in the same
direction they came from. The whole process takes about 30 seconds.
Tactics:
Strafe Runs are, more or less, a stronger and more fragile version of the
Precision Airstrike. On the one hand, they cover a wider area, and do so across
the whole map instead of a rectangle. In addition, rather then hit or miss
bombs, the helicopters fire off rounds into passing enemies, making it
impossible to survive it if you are caught in the open and are near the
formation.
On the other hand, this killstreak is an absolute killfeed for Stinger
missiles; an enemy on the side with a Stinger can pick off helicopters as they
fly by, and this still counts towards their killstreaks. Your run will almost
always leave the map in depleted numbers because of this, or may even get
wiped out.
In dropping one onto the map, only direction and directional positioning
matter; where you drop it along their path doesn't, as they begin firing the
moment they enter the map.
Counter-tactics:
As I said above, shooting these with Stingers is like shooting ducks - they
fall quickly and boost your own killstreak. They are also loud and noisy, being
five helicopters, and you should be able to tell by the increasing sound volume
approximately how close they are to you. If you're caught in the kill area, the
effectiveness of this killstreak shows itself; you will be filled with shots
from 5 machine guns, and that can't be good for your health. So, the best
course of action is to stay out of the way and treat it like shooting season.
Demo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL1G150bbvE - ...lol...
_______________________________________________________________________________
AH-6 Overwatch - 9 kills with Assualt Strike Package
- Calls in your own Littlebird helicopter to hover over you
- Can be very effective, but tips everyone off to your position
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basics:
The AH-6 Overwatch calls in a Little Bird, the titular AH-6, to hover around
you for 60 seconds. During those 60 seconds, you have unmatched superiority
in open areas, as long as it is not shot down. If you die, it will simply fly
to where you respawned, although it may hover where it was for a few more
seconds to finish off any targets it sees.
Tactics:
The AH-6 Overwatch is a very protective killstreak. The Little Bird will follow
you pretty much everywhere, but for its duration you probably want to stay
outside, as it cannot shoot through buildings. The Littlebird has miniguns that
it will fire at any target it aquires, and takes at most a second and a half to
aquire anyone within shooting range of you, so will often beat you to the
punch - which is good, you're letting your killstreak handle enemies for you.
Smart enemies who see an AH-6 in the air will either head for a building or
other kind of shelter, flee from you, or get out a Stinger and shoot it down.
It flies very low, which is its protection against Stingers - Stingers take
time to aquire, and anyone trying to shoot it down should be in your and its
visible range. Don't let them! Thus, the effectiveness of this killstreak is
based around both how many enemies are carrying launchers and how observant you
are, a definite improvement over the Attack Helicopter (which is, for all
intents and purposes, a longer-timed, roaming version of this Little Bird).
Overal, though, the effectiveness of this streak is based on how concentrated
the enemy team is, and for those 60 seconds you want to be in the center of
action and not die at it.
Counter-tactics:
The problem with the AH-6 is that if you aren't equipped to handle someone with
one trailing them, then tough nuts. You can overcome this by carrying a
launcher, as the AH-6 has no flares; its protection is that, with its low
flight pattern, you'll probably have to get within firing range of both it and
the player it's assisting to shoot at it.
If you cannot shoot it down, it is a somewhat clear indicator of where the
person is; use that to your advantage, guess their movements and get into a
window or building to attack them from, as the AH-6 has a more difficult time
reaching into houses, the insides of which it cannot see. They will, of course,
avoid going inside any houses for its duration, so you may have to play cat and
mouse with the chopper, ducking out of the way every time it turns around on
you.
Demo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3my4FwjK7U - He didn't use either killstreak
particularly effectively.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Reaper - 9 kills with Assualt Strike Package
- You take control of an unmanned vehicle firing multiple Predators
- Sit back and rain down death; plays like a junior AC-130
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basics:
The Reaper is the lowest killstreak in the game in which you take control of
the guns of an ariel vehicle. In the case of the Reaper, this is the Reaper
UAV, an unmanned high-flying ariel vehicle that can rain down Predator missile
after Predator missile on your opponents. It also comes with one flare for
protection, and lasts a total of 40 seconds.
Tactics:
I love the Reaper, and most people will agree that it is the best "new" thing
in Modern Warfare 3. It plays out as a junior version of the AC-130, being
easier to shoot down, slightly weaker, and easier to get, and is the best
killstreak launchpad for higher-level killstreaks (see Killstreak stacking way
below).
The Reaper fires from a top-down angle, as opposed to the Predator missile,
which follows a camera on the nose of the missile; there are both advantages
and disadvantages to this firing mode. The biggest disadvantage is that you
have a poorer picture from up above then you do on the missile's nose, making
it much harder to make the minute adjustments that would net you the more
difficult kills with the lone missile. The advantage, on the other hand, is
that it allows you to switch gears much more easily. With a Predator, you might
be cruising along towards a target, but then as you close in they get shot and
die; you scroll around franticly but it's too late, you're too close and there
are no more targets in sight, and you waste the missile on the floor. Not so
with the Reaper; since you are top-down, your view is unlimited, so you can
veer sharply off your planned course successfully if a better target makes
himself known.
It takes a use or two to get used to the Reaper's firemode; the Predator
missiles can veer very sharply if you force them too, and this is great for
switching targets, but can be a bit touchy on your first time. Whatever area
you are targetting is highlighted on the ground by a dim red circle; if your
enemy is not too oblivious they may try to seek shelter. You can use the
number in the box to approximate how long you have before the missile hits,
and you can press the Right Mouse button or whatever aiming button it is on
the consoles to zoom in on your targets, although this tends to take the
missile off your screen (ae. heading into the target from the side of your
view).
Also of note, the Reaper can destroy other killstreaks. Although dumping a
Predator into a Sentry Gun or I.M.S. is generall a waste, you'll want to do
just that with a Reaper. Particularly, you'll want to prioritize SAM Turrets;
you can destroy them in a single hit, and they are dangerous to you and WILL
eventually down your craft.
If you see a smoke trail heading towards you, concentrate on that area; that
means that someone just fired a missile into you and ducked back to reload.
A single Stinger can destroy a Reaper, and you need to be very careful about
preventing that from happening; kill whoever fired it as a first priority.
Should it die with a missile is in flight, the missile will head straight
down where it was positioned instead, which may or may not net you a lucky
extra kill.
Note that the missiles cannot be boosted like Predator missiles can, but this
is generally not a problem. A Reaper comes with 14 missiles, but it is
nearly impossible to dispense of all 14 in 40 seconds (unless specifically
aiming to do so, ae. dumping them against the roof of a tall building). Other
then that, there's nothing else to say; shoot at red boxes, be prepared to
switch your red boxes, and get a knack for manuveering incoming missiles around
map objects. Also of note, the missiles can break right through glass, and you
can zoom in with the Right Mouse Button to assist in aiming.
Note: unlike the AC-130, a Reaper is hurt by bullets, and it doesn't tell you
when someone is firing missiles at it. Nonetheless the bullets are easy to
follow to the shooter, making shooting at a Reaper practically suicidal.
Shooting other killstreaks:
Unlike the Predator missile, which you only have one of, the Reaper can afford
to clear the skies and ground of enemy craft. It flies at the same height as
the Predator missile - the highest - so it can shoot down:
Care Package, Airdrop Traps, but this is not worth it.
Sentry Gun, I.M.S., Ballistic Vests, Remote Sentry - Difficult to find (not
highlighted) but useful if you can get it. You might pick them up when they
are firing at something, if they can fire at anything.
Attack Helicopter/Strafe Run - It's easily downed by concentrated fire or a
Stinger, but if there are no other targets, this one is fine - it takes some
of their umph out of the air, and counts as a kill towards your killstreaks
irregardless. Somewhat difficult to hit from so high above.
SAM Turret - Top priority; it can really hurt you! Three burst from a SAM
will toast your Reaper, and only one will rid you of your greatest
protection, your only flare.
AH-6 Overwatch - Small and limber, but it's a great help to the team if you
down it.
Assault Drone - Difficult to find, but given how much of a pain in the ass
these are for everyone, totally worth it if you can find it.
Recon Drone - Far too small to hit, although I've managed :P
Pave Low - A much more dangerous, fat, juicy, slow-moving helicopter that the
Reaper has a cakewalk downing, but is much more difficult from the ground.
AC-130 - As with the Predator Missile, it's going to take both luck and good
aiming to take out your older brother.
Osprey Gunner/Escort Airdrop - Big, slow, protects an otherwise vulnerable
commodity, takes multiple hits from the ground to down, these are rare but
should be your absolute #1 priority when they come up.
Juggernaut/Support Juggernaut - Slow and dangerous, Juggernauts are walking
bomb disposal units, able to walk right through Claymores and even an I.M.S.
and not even flinch. Even with a Predator, you have to hit them directly, not
even a near miss, to kill them in one shot. Still, a Predator is one of the
very few ways to reliably down them, so set it loose.
Counter-tactics:
Two Stingers will down a Reaper; having two people on the team equipped
with Stingers will almost certainly prevent them for being effective, unless
the pilot is phenominal at killing just two people. The moment the Stinger
comes up it should be your first priority; it is a direct danger to everyone,
unlike the other 9 killstreaks (which can be avoided), and is fairly easily
shot down by one person besides. Like pretty much all of the killstreaks before
it, the Reaper is only as good as the enemy team is incompetent.
If you want to avoid a Reaper, the best way to do it is to simply stay inside.
The Predator missiles it fires have a very hard time reaching into buildings,
beyond the occassional window kills.
Demo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNzdK1haT98 - This guy is rather conservative
with his shots; I generally shoot as soon as I have the chance (ae. as soon as
the last missile impacts), as you can use the missile's manuverability to aim
on the fly, get more missiles out and score more kills.
_______________________________________________________________________________
AC-130 - 12 kills with Assualt Strike Package
- One of the hardest killstreaks in the game to down, with two flares
and a helluva lot of offensive punch.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basics:
Calling in an AC-130 takes you into the gunner's seat of an AC-130: all
three of them. The heavily armored gunship sports three guns: a massive 105 mm
howitzer, a smaller five-shot 40 mm autocannon, and a 20 round 20mm machine
cannon. You can cycle between these stations to rain down death on your
opponent, while sitting comfortably behind the seat of your double-flare
protected AC-130.
Tactics:
The AC-130 returns from Modern Warfare 2 almost unchanged. And this is a good
thing, as the AC is the absolute ruler of the sky - it is marvulously lethal in
the right hands.
The three different guns on the Ac-130 have different levels of zoom. The 105
mm gun has no zoom, and fires on large shell at a time, taking 5 (?) seconds
to reload. The 40mm has five shells and has a medium level of zoom. Finally,
the 20mm Gatling gun has a very high level of zoom, making it difficult to
track targets outside of its small frame.
The strongest cannon is the 105mm shot, which is actually the largest-area
explosive in the game. As such it should generally get the most kills per shot,
and will be able to reach the farthest into buildings and sheltered areas. The
40mm cannon can shoot several strong blasts at the optimal zoom level, and is
probably the most useful of the weapons; it has the best zoom, usability, and
power. The weakest and most spammable of these shots is the 20mm Gatling gun,
which has too much zoom and can only really be used to pick off stranglers
running into the open. Nonetheless, a good player can meke out a kill or two
from it.
To effectively use an AC-130, you want to keep cycling the guns, and pay
attention to altitude. The AC-130's reloads are structured so that as soon as
you empty each of the plane's guns, the first one comes online again; thus, as
you finish spamming the 20mm, upon switching you will find that the 105 is
reloaded and ready for use again. You can also camp on a single gun, but as
you have a very limited amount of time, this is the stupidest thing you can do.
The 20mm is mostly used for destroying other killstreaks, as it is powerful
enough to down them in a few shots, let alone 20 (you would only need a full
compliment, possibly, against a Pave Low).
The other thing to note is the lag between your shots and the ground. It takes
about a second for hell to get to them, and in that second they might just move
out of blast range. This lag is what makes it difficult to use the localalized
20mm, and is also relevant with the 40mm shot, as you need a good sense of
their direction to land a reasonable number of kills per shots.
When you are in an AC-130, enemies will generally run for the hills (or rather,
buildings) or get out and try and shoot your craft down. Altogethor the AC-130
is bettered only by the Osprey Gunner in survivablity, as it flies loftilly,
can rain down on anyone trying to shoot it down, and has two sets of flares to
back itself up. Nonetheless you CAN be brought down, and thus any red boxes
that step out of a building and stand there are probably firing at you, and
should probably be killed as a first priority. Be especially careful around
Blind Eye people doing this, as it is virtually impossible to spot them before
you can do so by following their smoke trail AFTER the missile has left the
tube.
If there is little time left on the counter, try to get one last 105mm cannon
shot in, and a couple of 40mm shells if possible. The time counter is located
in the bottom right corner of the screen, and counts down from 40 to 0
(changed from the MW2 HUD). Another change is that it now tracks how many
shots you have available with each gun, which isn't terribly useful as it has
a distinct timing that allows you to splice reloads easily.
If you hear beeping, it means that someone is trying to shoot your AC-130 down.
This is not good for obvious reasons. Look for people standing still in open
positions, and concentrate on anyone you see; sometimes you can outshoot their
missile. As described above, you can also rely on the smoke trail their
missiles make after they leave their launchers, but this requires giving up a
flare first. You have two sets of flares and are immune to bullets, but once
those two are expended, you are fair game to any lock-on launcher. Launched
missiles give a warning tone before being redirected by flares, and missiles
that are going to destroy the craft cause it to beep urgently - if you hear
this last one try to get one last 105mm shot in, as your craft is about to be
destroyed.
Shooting other killstreaks:
The AC-130's 20mm gun may not be terribly useful against infantry, but it can
destroy any other aircraft or ground support without much trouble, as long
as they fly lower then the AC.
Care Package and Airdrop Traps are probably not worth it.
Sentry Gun, I.M.S., Ballistic Vests, Remote Sentry - Difficult to find (not
highlighted) but an AC-130 will have a swell time with them.
Attack Helicopter/Strafe Run - A very easy target for the 20mm; more so the
latter then the former, which flies erratically enough to require some
aiming.
SAM Turret - AC-130s fly high and slow, and if a SAM turret can see you, it
has a good chance of shooting you down if you do nothing about it. On the
other hand they are extremely easy to destroy, but because they are hard to
spot they'll probably get to leach a flare off you before you destroy them.
AH-6 Overwatch - Small and limber, but extremely vulnerable to 20mm shot.
Another easy one.
Assault Drone - A very good target, although perhaps you're better off using
a couple of 40mm shots to destroy it, it has a bit of health.
Recon Drone - Far too small to hit.
Pave Low - A dangerous, large, slow-moving helicopter that the AC-130 can
take out in good speed, and is far more difficult to destroy from the
ground. Make it a priority. Note - it's slow and large enough to reliably
hit with 40mm shots.
Osprey Gunner/Escort Airdrop - Big, slow, protects an otherwise vulnerable
commodity, takes multiple hits from the ground to down, these should be
your absolute #1 priority when they come up.
Juggernaut/Support Juggernaut - Slow and dangerous, Juggernauts are walking
bomb disposal units, able to walk right through Claymores and even an I.M.S.
and not even flinch. The AC-130 is actually the game's best counter against
them - just rain down death upon them until they die, and with their speed
they will have a hard time getting to cover.
Counter-tactics:
The AC-130 is one of the best defended and most dangerous killstreaks in the
game. With two sets of flares, it cannot be shot down by a single person
without them dying first. AC-130s are one of the many reasons you should always
have at least two people with Stingers on a team; when an Ac-130 is called in,
the operator will not know where to look if he is targetted by a missile. As
soon as your first missile dusts off, however, it will leave a trail of smoke,
defining you as their first priority to kill (if they have not already sheerly
by his shooting at exposed targets). Thus you need to duck behind cover and
try to avoid whatever he throws at you; with the penetrating power of the 105
and 40mm shots, however, this is not always possible.
The AC-130 is particular in that it takes two people to destroy it effectively,
as a single person can only shoot two missiles, both of which can be defeated
by flares. Nonetheless, if you are alone others will probably swap to Stingers
as well, as an AC-130 is considered *that* dangerous.
Avoiding AC-130s is a question of using the minimap effectively. The AC-130
flies in a slow curved path, and therefore you can look at the minimap and
position yourself so that there is a solid wall, or a whole building, between
you and the plane. This is especially important when you are spawning, as the
spawn zones are death traps for an AC-130. You can also feel safer by being
inside a building of some sort, but with the AC-130's penetrative power, this
is less insurance then it would be with another killstreak.
Note that an Ac-130 can be destroyed by Predator missiles and Reapers, but this
is a real corner case, as it is nearly impossible to twist and turn the
missiles enough to down the plane. While an enemy AC-130 is in the air, avoid
calling any of the things it can destroy.
Differences from MW2:
None.
Demo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0NZm7lBuds - A nice game but he doesn't use the
Gatling gun at all...
_______________________________________________________________________________
Pave Low - 12 kills with Assualt Strike Package
- One of the hardest killstreaks in the game to down, with two flares
and a helluva lot of offensive punch.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basics:
The Pave Low is a heavily armored assault helicopter. Think of it as a heavier
Attack Helicopter; it has twice the health, twice the firepower, and an extra
set of flares. With all of these pluses the Pave Low is an absolute terror to
anyone who exposes themselves to its view.
Tactics:
The Pave Low is the last "press a button and get kills" killstreak in the
Assault package. For this reason, I don't have as much to say about it as I do
about some other things. Compared to the Modern Warfare 2 Pave Low, this
version concentrates on where enemies are better, is more sensitive to enemy
presense, and getting kills with it actually counts towards your killstreaks.
It does take 3 more kills to get, however.
The best thing about this killstreak is that you can call it in and then get
around to doing your buisness, leaving it to prowl along killing whoever it
sees. This frees you from having to sit at a console, like many other
killstreaks, a definite plus. In addition it's very difficult to shoot down,
for two reasons. First of all, it has a flare and a buttload of health;
togethor this means that only a Stinger can shoot it down reliably, bar a
Predator missile (or Reaper or AC-130), as the other launchers simply don't
do enough damage to its 3000 health. Secondly, locking on a rocket takes two
seconds or so, and during that time the Pave Low has a tendancy to be
murderous to anyone it sees. It can't always be relied on to deny its
destroyal, but it does make it a great deal harder.
There's also the fact that it prowls around the map, making it difficult for
any single player to fire off two rockets before it is out of their view and
marauding the team elsewhere. Its effectiveness is proportional to the amount
of buildings on the map; the fewer the more targets it can hit, but also the
more exposed it is to enemy fire.
Counter-tactics:
The reason that a Pave Low is difficult to shoot down is described above. Note
that SAM turrets are quite useful; a Pave Low will never shoot at them, and
although they will never be able to kill it through all of its health, they can
leach off its flares, making life easier for the poor sap with the Stinger who
has to shoot it down. A Pave Low is also a very worthy target for a Predator
missile.
Differences from Modern Warfare 2:
More effective now.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Juggernaut - 15 kills with Assualt Strike Package
- Puts you in a slow, bulky suit with 1000 regenerating health
and an MG to eat out your opponents
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basics:
When you get Juggernaut, you get a smoke marker, and drop it where you want the
crate with the suit to land. Once you open it up, you instantly become a
Juggernaut, a slow, hard-hitting creature with 1000 regenerating health (10
times your regular health), Sleigh of Hand Pro, SitRep Pro, and a heavy M60E4
LMG and MP420 Revolver, and become extremely hard to kill while dealing out
loads of damage.
Tactics:
Juggernaut gives you, essentially, 1000 health. That means you are one mean
fighting machine, able to wade through firefights and explosives virtually
unscathed. The armor is delivered by a C-130 Hercules to prevent the enemy team
for shooting down the usual Little Bird package. Given the priority of the suit
you should have teammates assist in defending the area as it lands. Other then
that, there's actually very little to say about the Juggernaut in terms of
tactics; wade through the enemy until your screen starts to go red, then take
cover, regenerate health, and get back to killing everyone. See Counter-tactics
below on things you need to worry about as a Juggernaut.
Because of their great resistance to getting hurt, Juggernauts are incredible
at capturing points, as enemies will want to have nothing to do with you. You
are very slow, however, take this into consideration. Although I refer to
Juggernauts as having 1000 health, this is not quite true; they really have
100 and multiply all damage done to them by .10. Note that launchers do player
damage and not killstreak damage (where they are multipled) against
Juggernauts, and therefore are nearly useless, doing more like 200.
Counter-tactics:
Bullets hurt everything, and enough them will kill anything. Therefore massed
point-blank range fire directed at a Juggernaut WILL kill them if you push hard
enough, but avoid getting turned into mincemeat by his LMG. The most useful
tool you have against him is your Flash and Stun grenades, which will stun him
enough that you can run away or flank. If you meet a Juggernaut, the best thing
you can do, generally, is stun them and run away, or stun and shoot if there
are enough of you to blow through 1000 health. Things that will kill a
Juggernaut:
- It takes a magazine and then some to kill one with a Barrett or similar
high-powered sniper rifle.
- A Riot Shield will do it in five hits while protecting you from his guns, but
you move at the same speed as the Juggernaut does and hitting him takes time,
so he can outrun you, or kill you through spray-fire. Support Juggernauts are
actually pretty good against Assault Juggernauts, combining a Riot Shield
with an equivalent amount of health.
- A knife will also kill one in five hits, but this is only relevant if you
have several teammates shower one with stun grenades while you circle around
them and knife them multiple times, which probably won't happen.
- A throwing knife kills in four hits; therefore it's a great weapon to fling
at one when your team is concentrating on bringing him to his knees.
- An I.M.S. takes 3 shots to destroy one, which means they can throw a stun,
walk right up to it while taking a shot, and then knife it without much
trouble.
- A grenade launcher is mostly useless, unless you have terrific aim and manage
to get a headshot, which will kill him in a single hit. But you have to be
very lucky.
- A Juggernaut can wade right through rockets, grenades, claymores, and
bouncing betties without caring much.
- The most effective counter is other killstreaks. A direct hit with a Predator
missile or Reaper missile will kill him instantly, several near misses with
an AC-130 will kill him without too much trouble, and a Pave Low can layer on
significant damage but probably won't kill him.
- Sentry Guns are suprisingly dangerous to Juggernauts, as they have 300 extra
health against bullets and thus are difficult to bring down with a gun. A
persistant Juggernaut can still wade up to them from up close or flank one
and knife it from behind, orfire at it, duck to regenerate, and then fire at
and destroy it. Same goes for a Remote Sentry.
- Assault Drones are interestingly well-matched for a Juggernaut, but the Jugg
will probably win thanks to health regeneration, which the drone lacks.
- Humerously, they are killed instantly by a Care Package.
You can also just avoid the Juggernaut, as he is a tough cookie to crack,
doesn't give you any extra XP for killing him, and is always indicated on your
minimap by a moving diamond. This is more problematic, however, when you have
to defend an objective.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Osprey Gunner - 17 kills with Assualt Strike Package
- The hardest killstreaks in the game to down, with two flares
and a helluva lot of offensive punch.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basics:
The Osprey Gunner calls in a V-22 Osprey, allowing you to take control of its
gun as it drops several care packages onto a spot you select, allowing you to
man its heavy machine gun as it hovers in place to defend your drop.
Tactics:
Getting an Osprey Gunner is quite a task, requiring a whole 17 points without
dying; it is the most difficult killstreak in the game. Nonetheless, it is also
the most survivable, being virtually impossible to shoot down; with two flares,
a good deal of health, and you sitting in place just itching to shoot anyone
that comes into view; the only way an Osprey Gunner is going down is with a
Predator missile, Reaper, AC-130, or EMP.
Although the gunner's seat allows you to shoot people as the plane arrives on
the map, and does so with similar effeciency to the Chopper Gunner from MW2,
once it finds its spot and drops its packages, the plane will stay in place.
This gives you an area view of a limited area, and allows you to kill anyone
that comes by, making the Osprey virtually impossible to shoot down from the
ground. On the other hand, it is very easy to avoid, and indeed players will
simply avoid your plane, so you won't get too many kills with it.
In fact, the primary power of the Osprey Gunner isn't the gunner seat itself
but the packages it drops, four care packages and one airdrop trap (although
occasionally the last one will also be a care package) of both assault and
support variants, although assault packages will be more common. The rates for
these care packages are far more even then they are for regular Care Packages,
which are biased towards weaker streaks; with the Osprey Gunner, they are
roughly even. Your team will snag up all of your packages and then deploy them
on the enemy, often with great effect - the last Osprey Gunner I remember
dropped a Reaper, a Counter-UAV, a Predator Missile, and a Pave Low.
Thus, the biggest consideration when calling this in is where to put it. In
objective-based games, over an objective that you are in danger of losing, or
one that you want to push for, is generally a good choice, as as long as your
craft is not shot down, you can defend the packages from your enemies and help
immensely in securing the position with your gun. Whenever I get this or its
Support version, the Osprey Gunner, I usually drop it in front of B - a often-
contested slot which is easier to maintain while your Osprey is in the air.
Counter-tactics:
Osprey Gunners are the most survival killstreaks in the game. They stay in one
low area with an active intelligent gunner (the operator), can survive direct
hits from rocket launchers, and have two sets of flares to defend themselves.
Therefore they are tantamount to impossible to destroy with Stingers or
anything at all from the ground.
But they also protect a very high-value commodity, several crates which may
just contain very power killstreaks, and are often deployed offensively,
meaning that if you DO shoot them down, your team can fight for and often win
control of the crates (this is an important consideration when calling one in).
Thus they are absolutely top-priority for Predator missiles, Reapers, and
AC-130s to shoot down. Smiting the person who called it in by doing so, and
then stealing all their packages, is almost as good as denying them a MOAB.
{D} Support Killstreaks
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
UAV - 4 kills with Support Strike Package
- Exactly the same as the Assault varient, but takes on more kill; see that
section for more information.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
_______________________________________________________________________________
Counter-UAV - 5 kills with Support Strike Package
- Causes the enemy minimap to go fuzzy with static, preventing them
from seeing who's getting fired on where, and negating UAVs.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basics:
The Counter UAV is exactly the same as the UAV in terms of form, but completely
difference in substance. It takes one more kill with the Support killstreak
package than the UAV, at 5 kills, and instead of providing radar, fuzzies up
the enemy's screen. This means that any UAVs they have will be cancelled out,
as well as them losing general combat awareness, for its 30 second duration.
Tactics:
The Counter-UAV is much more aggressive in how it attacks the enemy team. While
the UAV gives you an extra level of combat awareness, the Counter-UAV hurts
your foes by removing one of their primary sources of the same, their minimap.
As such, it is much more liable to be shot down by the disgruntled team.
Because this streak overwrites enemy UAVs, it is best called in as soon as they
call a UAV in. The one other thing to know is that, as opposed to UAVs, the
Counter-UAV will generally make the enemy team MORE cautious as opposed to
less, reducing the advantage Assassin has instead of increasing it.
Counter-tactics:
The Counter UAV has the exact same form and exact same defenses as the UAV -
namely, it is a high flying drone whose principal difficulty is that it may be
hard to spot. Since the Counter-UAV is more annoying then a regular UAV, it
should be shot down quicker as well. Elsewise, everything that can be said
about this pointstreak has already been said in the UAV section of Assault.
Differences from MW2:
None.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Ballistic Vests - 5 kills with Support Strike Package
- Allows you to drop a stack of Ballistic Vests, which can be
taken and equipped by your team to give a health boost.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basics:
Getting Ballistic Vests allows you to help your team along by dropping jackets
that, when equipped, will increase your HP by 30 (non-regenerating). This gives
everyone a small combat boost over the enemy, and can turn firefights around in
the right situations. You can only equip them once a life, and they vanish in
90 seconds.
Tactics:
The effectiveness of the Ballistic Vest is directly proportional to how many
people pick them up. The relative benefit for each person is small, but if the
whole team equips them it will give your side a significant edge in firefights.
Nonetheless, when dropping Ballistic Vests, the main problem is getting people
to actually bother with putting them on. The problem is that it's only 30
health, and it doesn't regenerate; what that means is that, once you expend it,
it's gone for good. Now 30 health isn't much health to expend, being worth
about two bullets in a fight.
Nonetheless, you get 50 points every time somone picks one up. Ballistic Vests
take a bit of time to pick up, so they should be dropped near your spawn area;
the point is to have them in player's faces when they respawn, so they go to
the boxed star on their minimap and grab one (which itself takes a couple of
seconds). I like to holler over the mic that you should "Get your Ballistic
Vests", and people tend to notice then, too.
vests have the advantage of being very inconspicuous; they are the only point
streak that can be achieved and used during an EMP, and are difficult for
enemies to make out (what's that, a pile of rubble?) unless one of your
teammates runs up to them and starts equipping them in front of an enemy.
There is an infinite number of vests in each pile.
Counter-tactics:
Ballistic Vests have only 1 health, and are easily destroyed by the person who
drops them (avoid firing at/through them, I suppose) or by an enemy. Their
primary point of notice is their inconspicuousness, as most players will run
right by them and not really pay attention to the pile over yonder. If you do
chose to pay attention, however, Vests (perhaps humerously) only have a single
point of HP when on the ground, and thus can be destroyed by a single bullet.
_______________________________________________________________________________
SAM Turret - 8 kills with Support Strike Package
- Deployable SAM system that fires at enemy air killstreaks
- Passively helps, but can't handle later killstreaks alone
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basics:
The SAM turret shoots packets of five rockets at any enemy air support it sees.
It's more effecient then a man with a Stinger, is automated, but can't handle
later killstreaks at all.
Tactics:
The SAM Turret is an 8-kill Support killstreak literally designed to destroy
other (air) killstreaks. The SAM Turret lasts for 90 seconds, and during those
90 seconds it will shoot packs of rockets at anything that it sees in the air.
It has one big advantage over a human player armed with a Stinger, and that is
that it doesn't waste time aquirring; if it can see it it will shoot it, where
a human player would have to pan around the sky to find it first, and possibly
miss it.
The big disadvantage, however, is that it's quite weak. Each rocket does 150
damage to enemy killstreaks, and it fires a pack of five; that's a total of
only 750 damage. This means it would take:
1 rocket pack to kill UAVs, Counter UAVs, and Care Packages*
2 rocket packs to kill Attack helicopters, Strafe Run helis, AH-6 Overwatches,
Advanced UAvs, and Recon Drones
3 rocket packs to kill Reapers
4 rocket packs to kill AC-130s, Pave Lows, Osprey Gunners, and Escort Airdrops
* It's actually by far the easiest way to down a Little Bird before it drops
its care package, as it's automated and tracks it the moment it enters the
map, but does take directional luck, as the bird can come from any direction.
These numbers may not seem so bad, but they really are. Reapers, AC-130s, and
Osprey Gunners can destroy SAM Turrets before getting destroyed; Pave Lows and
Attack Helicopters will move out of the way; Strafe Runs birds won't be
significantly affected; AH-6 Overwatches will simply be moved away by the
player; and the SAM Turret is far more likely to be knifed then it is to shoot
down an Escort Airdrop. Remember that there's a long reloading lag between
rocket packets, which takes about 5 seconds; so, ideally, one can shoot down
an AC-130 in a little over 20 seconds. But that will never happen.
Nonetheless, SAM turrets leach off flares for more powerful Stingers to get
through, and automate the removal of all sorts of enemy UAVs, as well as
occassionally shooting down an Attack Helicopter or two (Strafe Runs too,
but...)
Counter-tactics:
SAM turrets can be destroyed in a single knife flick, or by a rocket launcher
if you see it a bit of a distance away. Your tactics should not change when a
SAM turret is deployed, but just be aware that it's out there and can shoot
your things (down). Middling streaks generally avoid them and high streaks can
destroy them; SAM turrets are a priority target for both Reapers and AC-130s.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Recon Drone - 10 kills with Support Strike Package
- Deploys a small helicopter drone that can be used to tag enemy
players for friendlies.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basics:
This streak deploys a small helicopter drone that can be used to tag enemy
players, flashing them and marking them. them to be marked on friendly
minimaps for the rest of their current lives.
Tactics:
Upon getting the Recon Drone, go somewhere cozy with a bit of vertical space,
and launch the drone. This is one of the more complicated things in the game
to fly, which is funny, because in BBC2 I considered its equivalent, the UAV,
easy (as there you had to fly helicopters, which was no small task). But the
basics are, press Shift to go up, S to go down. Steer around the map with AWD
and look for the red triangle signifying enemy positions. Once they are in
range, tag them, and then move on before they can figure out what happened or
start shooting at your poor drone. Every tag earns you 50 points, in addition
to the 20 points you would earn as an assist; nonetheless they don't count as
kills, and therefore do not advance your pointstreaks, except with Hardline
Pro.
The UAV can't fly above a certain height cealing, beyond which it loses
connection and goes grainy. The exact hieght varies by map, but you should
work it out quickly and be on your merry way. When using a Recon Drone avoid
getting fired at; you have a flare and a bit of health, and you can flash
people that try firing at you (by tagging them), but you should still peel
out if you begin taking flak.
Overall, the Recon Drone is a very fun, fairly easy to get, and very point-
efficient killstreak that definetly belongs in the "Support" category. When
using it, keep in mind that you have to be within a certain range of someone
to get to tag them, and that getting tagged flashes them and tells them
they've been tagged, so expect them to get mad. Also of note: enemy
Sentry Guns, Remote Sentries, I.M.S., and SAM Turret will all appear as red
boxes, and can also all be tagged. Be most careful of the SAM turrets, and
the I.M.S. at low altitude; both can shoot you down, the I.M.S. straight
through your flare if it gets the oppertunity.
The Recon Drone has a Portable Scrambler effect on nearby enemies, as well
as appearing on their minimaps, so expect tagged players and players who see
it to shoot at it. If they do start to do so, duck behind cover. Accept that
sitting in place for the duration required by the Recon Drone will probably
get you killed, and you cannot get any kills in that time (except by
Claymores etcetera), but it still gets you boatloads of points, so...
Counter-tactics:
EMP grenades are by far the easiest way to destroy them, blowing them up in a
single throw if they are near enough. Regular old gunfire can blow them up as
well, but the problem with regular old gunfire is that the Recon Drone can
flash you and then run away, it is small enough to be rather hard to hit, and
it has 200 health, so can take a few bullets. In addition the first missile
fired against it will always miss to flares, so you're better off not wasting
launcher missiles on it. Or maybe you are.
Demo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBGxgTeAVZc - Recon Drones can be destroyed by
Predator Missiles, which, humerously, works to the player's advantage here, as
he takes 0 damage (itself probably a bug...)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxpU3U1g888 - The COD Wikia? Well we can use it too.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Remote Sentry - 12 kills with Support Strike Package
- Deploys a small helicopter drone that can be used to tag enemy
players for friendlies.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basics:
The Remote Sentry is like a user-usable version of the Sentry Gun. It has the
same power, but is naturally better then a Sentry Gun because it is player
controlled as opposed to AI controlled (and, as everyone knows, the AI is
quite dumb). Drop the Remote Sentry, run to a safe nook, and then get onto
the laptop and spray away.
Tactics:
The Remote Sentry is a like a Sentry Gun, but it's slightly smaller, isn't
affected by flashes or stuns, is user-controlled, is more vulnerable before you
get onto it as it has no self-defense, and takes up your time as you must man
it. The trick is to drop it in a high-traffic area, run off a short distance,
pull out you laptop and get to firing. The gun is most vulnerable when it is
placed but not activated, ae. you are running to a safe spot; it cannot defend
itself from fire then, and even 1000 health can be bullied through from afar
and easily defeated up close with a single knife flick.
Once you are on it, however, the Remote Sentry is suprisingly survivable. All
enemies are marked in red boxes, and thus you want to shoot at any red boxes
that expose themselves. You should shoot at everyone in general, even if you
think they are friendlies, as they may just be Blind Eye users trying to sneak
up on and knife your sentry. In general, a Remote Sentry has some disadvantages
and some advantages over a sentry gun.
On the plus side, it is smaller. So it's less conspicuous, and easier to
suprise an enemy with. It's immune to flashes and stuns, which will just bounce
off of it, while a Sentry Gun will be disabled and can safely be waltzed up to
and destroyed. Thirdly, it can turned around 180 degrees in all directions, and
thus cannot be snuck up on; you should always be checking yourself on every
side, not just in front of you. Lastly and perhaps most importantly, it is
controlled by you and not the AI, and that comes with inherent perks; you can
shoot "friendlies" to check if they are Blind Eyes trying to waltz up to your
gun, you can shoot at any range and are not restricted to in how far you can
see, you are better at prioritizing targets, and you can shoot at and
potentially shoot down any air killstreaks you can see: to date, I've
destroyed at least one AH-60 Overwatch this way.
Doing it yourself does have its disadvantages, however. The gun is much more
vulnerable while setting up, as it doesn't have an AI to automatically start
targetting and firing; chances are, you want to get somewhere safe first,
meaning it has to survive, unprotected, in a high traffic area, without being
destroyed, for several seconds. The other thing is that you are left exposed
physically; you have to hide in a bush or something similar during the duration
of the killstreak, so you can be killed, and are not free to physically attack
and defend. Which brings me to that last point; in using a Remote Sentry you
are basically binding yourself to one point during its duration, as it's a real
pain in the ass, and dangerous, and a waste of killstreak time to get off the
laptop and haul it to another location, redeploy, hide again, and pull out the
laptop again.
Counter-tactics:
Once a Remote Sentry is up, because of the intelligence of the human
controlling it, it is suprisingly hard to destroy. The operator has 180 degree
rotation, is immune to being flashed or stunned, has a significant offensive
punch and a good deal of health, and will naturally firecheck everyone that
passes by in case they are sneaky Blind Eye users.
Your best bet is the EMP grenade, which can be tossed over a wall to destroy it
with little incident. Past that, if you have Blind Eye, you can try launching a
rocket at it; but the operator may be quick enough to spot you out before you
can get the shot off to destroy it. And you're definetly not gunning it to
death, unless you are a Recon Juggernaut with time to kill.
This is one killstreak that is more easily avoided then destroyed. It covers
only the area that it can see, so if you stay outside of its firing line, you
should be fine. The problem is when this means not taking an objective in view
of the gun; then, a Blind Eye rocket is probably your best option. Sometimes
people can sneak up on it and knife it from behind as well, but don't trust
this too much, as the operator may turn around and notice you. A Blind Eye
smoke grenade and then knife can also work, but they can always spam through
the smoke.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Advanced UAV - 12 kills with Support Strike Package
- A more powerful UAV that tracks enemy positions with locations.
- Still extremely easy to shoot down, however.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basics:
The Advanced UAV is a more advanced UAV that takes three times the effort, but
allows you to see enemy's positions in addition to their locations, allowing
you to sneak up on them.
Tactics:
Like the normal UAV, the Advanced UAV is a useful utility perk that helps out
everyone on your team. It sweeps the air two to three times faster then a
normal UAV, and shows enemies as moving arrows on each scan, instead of as
dots. This makes it far easier to sneak up on an enemy, showing you which
direction they are not facing so you can shoot them in the back.
Also like a normal UAV, the Advanced UAV is extremely fragile. It flies at the
same height, making it difficult to spot, but for all of its usefulness, it
still has the same number of countermeasures - exactly 0 - and can be shot down
with relative ease by a prepared player or team, usually more quickly then
UAVs, which are lower priority.
The Advanced UAV resembles the Blackbird from Black Ops, but sadly, it does not
show enemy presence all the time, and can be shot down, unlike the Blackbird.
Counter-tactics:
Counter-tactics to the Advanced UAV are simple, and exactly the same as with a
UAV or Counter-UAV. Find it, grab a launcher, and shoot it. Lacking a launcher,
shoot it out of the sky with your gun (it has 1000 health), and/or get
teammates to help you with the task. Everything that can be said here has
already been said in the UAV section; refer there.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Stealth Bomber - 14 kills with Support Strike Package
- Deploys a small helicopter drone that can be used to tag enemy
players for friendlies.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basics:
Calling in the Stealth Bomber, you are given a laptop and a drop spot. Position
the plane's impact point and direction, and watch as the bomber silently glides
over the map, killing anyone hit by its carpet bombs.
Tactics:
The Stealth Bomber plays out like a heavily souped-up version of the Precision
Airstrike. First and foremost, however, it is worth noting that this is the one
killstreak in the Support Strike Package that in no way fits into the "Support"
category; it is a killing man's killstreak in every way.
The Stealth Bomber's "primary" feature is that it does a lot of damage while
never being announced by the announcer or appearing on the minimap (except with
a current game bug where, if you are color-blind, it IS visible); however it's
not really at all stealthy, as it makes a lot of noise in the air before
arriving to drop bombs, and its slow-moving, pitch-black form is easily visible
in Modern Warfare 3's brightly lit skies.
Compred to its weaker counterpart, the Percision Airstrike, the Stealth Bomber
covers a much wider area more heavily, and it starts drops A LOT of bombs over
its WIDE area as soon as it enters the map, thus outdoing the Precision
Airstrike in all regards except for speed. As with the Precision Airstrike,
having a UAV out is better when calling this in.
The B-2 Spirit delivering the carpet bombing is itself immune to damage, and is
truly indestructible; if an EMP is called, it stops dropping bombs, but still
glides by. It shares this with the Precision Airstrike, C-130 (delivering Jugg
armor), and Ballistic Vests. It is possible, and perhaps easy, to kill yourself
with this streak; avoid firing it down a line close to you. Teammates and
enemies under cover in a strike zone will experience severe shell shock, having
their screen blurred and shaken, their hearing droned over, and their movements
slowed; this wears off after a couple of seconds.
I take back what I said earlier, with a UAV in the air this baby will translate
into at least 2, usually 3 or 4 kills very easily.
Counter-tactics:
Although the Stealth Bomber is supposed to be stealthy, it really isn't; you
can hear the drone as it arrives onto the map very distinctly. More importantly
is the fact that it doesn't appear on the minimap; complete with its large
bombing radius, this makes it very difficult, very difficult indeed to know
where the bombs will land ahead of time (except, perhaps, with the Color Blind
exploit).
Thus your best bet is to head for cover, especially if you feel like you are in
an area likely to be bombed, like a long hallway, objective point, or
especially capturing an objective point. Other then that, just pray it doesn't
hit you, because everything in its bomb radius is screwed.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Juggernaut Recon - 18 kills with Support Strike Package
- Become a Riot shield Juggernaut with a pistol!
- With support, you are almost invincible. (but not really)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basics:
A passing C-130 airdrops you a crate on your smoke marker; inside the crate is
Juggernaut Armor, outfitting you with advanced armor, a riot shield, and a
desire to really, really hurt people.
Tactics:
Juggernaut Recon is a lot like the Assault Juggernaut; you get the same armor,
but your loadout and capacities are different. For one thing, Juggernaut Recon
is easier to get, requiring 18 non-consecutive kills as opposed to 15
consecutive ones. The C-130 that drops the package is immune to everything, so
you do not need to worry about EMPs or anything else blowing your package out
of the sky. Be careful not to deposit your marker somewhere unretrievable;
dumping it out of bounds would really suck.
Upon getting and openning up the crate, you get 1000 regenerating health (or,
rather, all incoming damage is multiplied by .1), the perks Scavenger,
Assassin, and SitRep (if you do not already have them, and Pro upgrades if you
have them), a Smoke Grenade, a Riot Shield, and a USP .45, at the cost of being
super duper slow. Compared to the Assault Juggernaut, this version is much more
survivable, getting a Riot Shield in addition to its crazy armor, but on the
other hand it loses a lot of offensive might, as your only weapon is a USP. 45.
A lot of what can be said about this bad boy tactically has already been said
about Juggernauts; check that section for more information.
Differences:
- Pistol vs. LMG - guess which one is better? This is a very big loss.
+ On the other hand you won't have to deal with threateningly long reloads, as
the assault Jugg has too.
+ The Riot Shield can be pulled out, perhaps with the Smoke Grenade, when low
on health, to give yourself time and protection to heal.
+ Riot Shields + Health = ability to crouch-walk over to and destroy Sentry
Guns and Remote Sentries, something the assault Jugg can't do.
+/- You can beat an Assault Juggernaut in a fair fight as you can shield bash
them to death, but in an unfair one they will flank and kill you, whereas a
Assault Jugg can match them pound-for-pound.
Forgot to mention, you also act as a local radar point for your team, which is
especially useful given your USP-loadout.
Counter-tactics:
Bullets hurt everything, and enough them will kill anything. Therefore massed
point-blank range fire directed at a Juggernaut WILL kill them if you push hard
enough, but avoid getting turned into mincemeat by his LMG. The most useful
tool you have against him is your Flash and Stun grenades, which will stun him
enough that you can run away or flank. If you meet a Juggernaut, the best thing
you can do, generally, is stun them and run away, or stun and shoot if there
are enough of you to blow through 1000 health. Things that will kill a
Juggernaut:
- It takes a magazine and then some to kill one with a Barrett or similar
high-powered sniper rifle.
- A Riot Shield will do it in five hits while protecting you from his guns, but
you move at the same speed as the Juggernaut does and hitting him takes time,
so he can outrun you, or kill you through spray-fire. Support Juggernauts are
actually pretty good against Assault Juggernauts, combining a Riot Shield
with an equivalent amount of health.
- A knife will also kill one in five hits, but this is only relevant if you
have several teammates shower one with stun grenades while you circle around
them and knife them multiple times, which probably won't happen.
- A throwing knife kills in four hits; therefore it's a great weapon to fling
at one when your team is concentrating on bringing him to his knees.
- An I.M.S. takes 3 shots to destroy one, which means they can throw a stun,
walk right up to it while taking a shot, and then knife it without much
trouble.
- A grenade launcher is mostly useless, unless you have terrific aim and manage
to get a headshot, which will kill him in a single hit. But you have to be
very lucky.
- A Juggernaut can wade right through rockets, grenades, claymores, and
bouncing betties without caring much.
- The most effective counter is other killstreaks. A direct hit with a Predator
missile or Reaper missile will kill him instantly, several near misses with
an AC-130 will kill him without too much trouble, and a Pave Low can layer on
significant damage but probably won't kill him.
- Sentry Guns are suprisingly dangerous to Juggernauts, as they have 300 extra
health against bullets and thus are difficult to bring down with a gun. A
persistant Juggernaut can still wade up to them from up close or flank one
and knife it from behind, orfire at it, duck to regenerate, and then fire at
and destroy it. Same goes for a Remote Sentry.
- Assault Drones are interestingly well-matched for a Juggernaut, but the Jugg
will probably win thanks to health regeneration, which the drone lacks.
- Humerously, they are killed instantly by a Care Package.
You can also just avoid the Juggernaut, as he is a tough cookie to crack,
doesn't give you any extra XP for killing him, and is always indicated on your
minimap by a moving diamond. This is more problematic, however, when you have
to defend an objective. This is even more of a problem with these Juggs because
of their damage-soaking Riot Shield.
Juggs make good airstreak targets. Stupidly, a stickied SemTex will kill them
in one hit. Gay.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Escort Airdrop - 18 kills with Support Strike Package
- Deploys a small helicopter drone that can be used to tag enemy
players for friendlies.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basics:
Drop your smoke, and a V-22 Osprey will arrive at your location; it will
proceed to drop four care packages and one trap, and then linger in the area to
defend your packages from potential enemy swindlers, protected by good health,
two flares, and a heavy machine gun.
Tactics:
The Escort Airdrop is the admitably weaker, but easier to get version of the
Osprey Gunner from the Assault Strike Package. Its principal fault is that its
gun is not mounted by you, the operator, so the craft has to spin around to
find and kill people shooting at it, allowing players to anticipate it killing
them and dodge back out of the way. That makes it a whole lot easier to shoot
down, as compared to the Osprey, where you can manuveer your gun wherever you
want to protect it (and preemptively fire at Blind Eyes as well).
Nonetheless, it is still one of the toughest crafts in the game to down,
slightly outmatching the AC-130 in difficulty to destroy (the prize goes to the
Osprey Gunner), with two flares, a buttload of health, a machine gun, and a
localized area to defend. It's also easier to get, and more fun (if less
effective) for whoever called it in; with the Osprey Gunner your teammates will
claim all the packages while you operate the gun, but with the Escort Airdrop
you can claim them yourself, as you are not bound to a console. That means you
can grab whatever it drops; if it happens to have two AC-130s, all the better
for you =).
Again, also check out the Assault Strike Package Osprey Gunner section for a
bit more information on how it works; in paticular on the dangers and uses of
using it in a contested area (which is less recommended with this version,
but...)
Note: it usually drops 5 packages, but occassionally a trap can be substituted
for the last one.
Counter-tactics:
This is one of the strongest streaks in the game, but not impossible to destroy
from the ground, as the Osprey Gunner is, because the AI gunner is lacking; aim
at it, and if it begins to turn towards you, break off and duck inside. It will
still be at least a two man job, however, and the Care Packages are likely to
vanish quickly while you handle the Osprey.
However, that is assuming that the Osprey has had time to drop its packages and
set up. If you are quick, and you have a buddy, you can prevent this from
happening at all; get out your Stingers and start popping its flares the moment
it arrives on the map. It will not shoot until it drops it packages, is pretty
slow, and is quite large, meaning that two people can take it out before it
even gets to do anything. Once more, a killstreak completely nullified by an
effective team.
Other killstreaks can destroy it as well. A Predator missile, AC-130, and
Reaper can all blow it, with the advantage of the latter two being that, if it
has already dropped its packages, you can defend it from the enemy team and let
your guys steal it (the AC-130 does this better then the Reaper, obviously).
_______________________________________________________________________________
EMP - 18 kills with Support Strike Package
- Deploys a small helicopter drone that can be used to tag enemy
players for friendlies.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basics:
The EMP is simple. Get it, call it in, and wipe out all enemy killstreaks, the
enemy HUD, and all of their electronic weapons (Red Dot Sight, Heartbeat
Sensor, etc.) for a minute, as well as making their view much more fizzly.
Tactics:
The EMP is essentially unchanged from Modern Warfare 2, but is far more common
in this game; it is now not the weaker cousin of the Tactical Nuke, rarely
used, but a very viable end-level Support killstreak that can slap the enemy
team silly with a wet towel for a whole minute! Let's discuss what the EMP
does:
It wipes all of the enemy's killstreaks. That means, that Osprey Gunner? On a
course into the ground. The AC-130 and Reaper combo? Wiped. All those helis
and UAVs? Meeting their maker. Even Sentry Guns and SAM Turrets are destroyed;
the only killstreaks that go unaffected are the Precision Airstrike and Stealth
Bombers (which stop dropping bombs) and the Ballistic Vests. You get points for
any and all support destroyed this way; thus the more the merrier. In addition,
they cannot call in anything except Ballistic Vests for the duration of the
flare-up. To use it best, then, one must aim to destroy a high-value target;
if there are 60 seconds or less left to the game, just use it, but otherwise
wait for something important to hit the air, like an enemy AC-130, for an
inequivably nasty suprise (like I once experienced =)).
The second thing it does is confuzzle all enemy electronics. This means that
the Heartbeat Sensor, Red Dot, Holographic Sight, Javelin aiming mechanism,
electronic Equipment, etc. etc. are all disabled for 60 seconds, or if they are
on the map when it is called, simply destroyed. This is quite simple, they
won't be chucking anything too sophisticated at you for a while, and people
with Red Dot, Holographic, or ACOG will see their aim worsen.
The last thing it does is fuzz up their screen and remove their HUD; again this
discreases their accuracy, but more importantly, it removes their minimap, the
one part of your HUD you actually need. Thus the enemy team will be under
constant Counter-UAV for two times a regular Counter's time.
When calling in the EMP the screen flashes bright white, which can be
convenient or inconvenient for people currently fighting at the moment of the
explosion. The enemy will be dissapated somewhat, but they will also be more
cautious, so watch for this. Lastly, any killstreaks that were achieved by the
enemy team during the EMP time will probably be called in the moment it is
done, so expect a greater-then normal flurry of stuff to hit you once it times
out.
I forgot to mention: care package crates and Juggernauts are also unaffected,
although you cannot call your care package contents, and this is fairly
obvious.
Counter-tactics:
None really. You'll probably want to start relying on iron sights during its
duration (ae. switch classes), as optics will be dead and will only marr up
your aim. Assasin Pro protects you from the effects of the EMP, but your
killstreaks will still be unavaliable. Once an EMP is unavaliable, it cannot be
reversed, so the air will remain clean for the following 60 seconds. This is
the one killstreak that cannot be countered, besides the MOAB. You can check
how long before you can call your killstreaks again by trying to call them -
it will display seconds left until it wears off.
Differences from Modern Warfare 2:
None.
{E} Specialist Strike Package
_______________________________________________________________________________
Lastly we arrive at the Specialist Strike Package, which is the "odd one out"
this game; it doesn't involve any support at all. Instead, unlocking
killstreaks with this Strike Package unlocks you additional perks, making you
deadlier on the field. Although this is not as exciting as an AC-130 or
something similar, or as supportable as the Support Strike Package, it has the
benefit of containing one of the most cost effective, useful pointstreaks in
the game; at 8 seemless kills, you get EVERY PERK IN THE GAME. In sum, for a
bit more then it would take to get an Attack Helicopter on the map, you
(assuming Pro effects):
+ Paint enemies to the map with explosive damage. [Recon]
+ Paint enemies to the map with bullet damage. [Recon Pro]
+ Reload more quickly. [Sleigh of Hand]
+ Swap weapons faster. [Sleight of Hand Pro]
+ Are undetectable by air support and sentries. [Blind Eye]
+ Do extra damage against killstreaks and lock on faster. [Blind Eye Pro]
+ Sprint for a longer distance. [Extreme Conditioning]
+ Climb over obstacles faster. [Extreme Conditioning Pro].
+ Resupply from dead enemies. [Scavenger]*
+ Aim faster. [Quickdraw]
+ Use grenades and equipment faster. [Quickdraw Pro]
+ Have enhanced explosives resistance. [Blast Shield]
+ Resist flash and concussion grneades. [Blast Shield Pro]
+ Get killstreaks 1 point faster. [Hardline]
+ Double assists count as kills. [Hardline Pro]
+ Are undectable by heartbeat, UAVs, thermal, and portable radar. [Assassin]
+ Immune to Counter-UAV and EMP. [Assassin Pro]
+ Do not get marked in red when targeted. [Assassin Pro]
+ Identify targets at range. [Marksman]
+ Hold your breath longer. [Marksman Pro]
+ Move faster while ADS. [Stalker]
+ Delay enemy proximity explosives. [Stalker Pro]
+ Detect enemy explosives. [SitRep]
+ Hear enemy footsteps better. [SitRep Pro]
+ Have enhanced hipfire accuracy. [Steady Aim]
+ Ready your weapon faster after sprinting. [Steady Aim Pro]
+ Move quieter and are Recon-resistant. [Dead Silence]
+ Do not feel fall damage. [Dead Silence Pro]
* Scavenger Pro, part of Hardline Pro, Overkill, Overkill Pro do not matter.
In short, you are superman; you can every possible capacity of your enemies,
are resistant to everything, undectable by things that can detect, can attack
and move faster, get things out and ready faster, are more mobile, detect
enemies and avoid detection more effectively, and can survive more non-bullets
aimed your way.
That's a mouthful isn't it? It is also absolutely critical towards getting the
MOAB, for which the Specialist set is far and away. Someone on a streak with
Specialist is frightful, and if you manage it, you can lay back and hurt people
more; nonetheless bullet damage to you is still unaffected, so do not do
anything rash or stupid, it will get you killed.
The last note to be made is this: when running Specialist, Hardline is amazing,
as the first streak is reduced from 2 to 1 kill and the rest from 4 to 3 and 6
to 5 and 8 to 7, a very, very good reduction (with 50%, 33%, 20%, and 15%
efficiency respectively). Thus it should always be the perk on your Specialist
classes, and a red one you might "actually" want should be your first streak.
{F} The MOAB
_______________________________________________________________________________
MOAB stands for "Mother of all Bombs", and is the (hidden) replacement for the
Tactical Nuke in Modern Warfare 3. Unlike in Modern Warfare 2, it does not kill
everyone on the map and end the round in your favor; instead, it causes a 10
second timer to go off, after which the Mother of all Bombs explodes, killing
every enemy on the map, giving the user's team double XP, applying an EMP
effect for 2 minutes, and tinting the map red.
MOABs are rightfully rare, much more so then the comparably more powerful
Tactical Nukes in Modern Warfare 2. And thank goodness; Tactical Nukes were a
great way to ruin the game, subjecting everyone's efforts to a single person
(and before you say I am bemoaning not being able to get them, I ended with 2).
The reason for this is that kills achieved with killstreaks do NOT count
towards your total; you have to get 25 clean in-game kills with your gun and
strength of back. Another change is that MOABs are not a pointstreak per se,
instead, they are automatically tacked onto everyone's killstreak list.
Getting a MOAB? Your best bet is probably going to be a Silenced Assault Rifle,
the Specialist Strike Package, Scavenger Pro, and a whole lot of luck. The
Specialist Strike Package, at an 8 killstreak, unlocks every perk in the game,
making getting gun kills much easier. If you really want a MOAB, try getting
all perks to Pro first; this enhances its benefits even further. But really,
play as you normally do and don't start "trying" until you round about 15 kills
or so. The greatest number of consecutive gun kills I have ever gotten is 16,
so.
{G} Stacking killstreaks
_______________________________________________________________________________
A well constructed set of killstreaks works in synergy, with the previous
killstreaks constructing towards the next set. Although this is mostly relevant
to Assault, Support killstreaks should make note of the first note I make in
this section, although Specialist users shouldn't pay attention at all and just
use what they feel helps them the most.
First of all, you want your killstreaks to be well spaced; this is important
because, once you get your last killstreak, it wraps back around to your first.
This is especially important for Support. An example of a wrong configuration
would be UAV, Ballistic Vests, Recon Juggernaut. You have two low killstreaks
and a very high one; if you are aiming for Recon Juggernaut, why not just go
all-out and grab a Stealth Bomber and Remote Sentry along the way? A better
streaks set would be UAV > Care Package > Ballistic Vests or Remote Sentry >
Stealth Bomber > Recon Juggernaut.
Now, for Assault. There are some killstreaks that are better for stacking then
others. I.M.S., for instance, shoud never be used for stacking, as it gets its
kills slowly over a period of time. The same is true for the Care Package (it
doesn't count towards your killstreaks) and the Sentry Gun. You want to space
out your killstreaks by how many kills they are likely to obtain; the most
common ones are:
UAV - low level "starter" killstreak, makes it harder for people to kill you
before you kill them.
Predator - basically a free kill so long as you do not die while using it,
and may garner two or three as well.
Attack Helicopter - passively gets you kills while you can continue on your
way, but may be shot down.
Reaper - a good killstreak that can be relied on to get at least 3 kills
(read: get you an AC-130 or Pave Low).
AC-130 - a common end-level target, the AC-130 is devastating, and using it
mostly ensures you an Osprey Gunner, and maybe even a MOAB if you are
productive enough.
Pave Low - same as the AC-130, but gets you kills "on the side". Less common
really.
Osprey Gunner - the absolute highest end-level target.
Common configurations:
UAV > Care Package > Sentry Gun/I.M.S.
UAV > Predator Missile > Attack Helicopter
UAV > Predator Missile > AH-6 Overwatch/Reaper
Predator Missile > Reaper > AC-130/Pave Low
Predator Missile > Reaper > Assault Juggernaut
Reaper > AC-130 > Osprey Gunner
{H} Destroying killstreaks
_______________________________________________________________________________
There are several methods for destroying killstreaks in this game, and I have
split them into several categories:
- SMAV, Stinger, and Javelin - the three specialty launchers that can destroy
enemy air and ground support most easily, as they can lock onto them.
- Rocket launchers, grenade launchers, and bullets - damage is bad for
everything, and enough can destroy anything.
- EMP grenades, EMPs, and MOABs - a burst of electical energy that destroys
enemy equipment.
A note on countermeasures: shot-out flares will regenerate if the craft is not
targeted for a while (how long, I'm not sure). Thus, an AC-130 can get back
both flares if it kills the person launching missiles at it before he can get
another one off a couple of times.
Rocket launchers: the SMAV, Stinger, Javelin, and RPG-7
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
These three are the rocket launchers that can lock onto and destroy enemy air
killstreaks. They each have their bonuses and their minuses in this regard,
explained here. General launcher tactics are explained at the end.
SMAW
----
The SMAW is the first launcher in the category, and unlocked as soon as you get
Create a Class. It is in all regards a clone of the RPG-7, firing the same
generous-area explosive missile but with two differences. On the one, the RPG-7
rocket is much more sporatic in its flight path, and the RPG gets two rockets
to the SMAV's one. In return for this spare rocket, though, the SMAV can track
enemy air killstreaks and fires more accuratly. Thus, the SMAV is for people
who like RPGs, but still want to be able to help the team with stuff in the
air.
The primary disadvantage of the SMAW, relative to the other missiles, is that
it is the worst at anti-air. It does low damage (only 1000), flies the slowest,
gives you only one rocket and is always redirected by flares. Nonetheless, it
can take out enemy UAVs and counter-UAVs easily and can contribute to
everything else. Overall, it's about as general-purpose as you can get; it can
shoot down and contribute to shooting down enemy airstreaks, is a good anti-
infantry weapon, and can destroy enemy Sentry Guns, I.M.S.s, SAM Turrets, and
Remote Sentries without any trouble, as long as you hit them directly. Thus, it
is the jack of all trades and master of none.
Note: with generous weapons fire afterwards, it can take down an Attack
Helicopter as well.
Stinger
-------
The Stinger is easily the best launcher, and best thing in the game in general,
for taking stuff out of the air. It comes with two missiles, the missiles are
the fastest projectile in the game, and it can destroy any and all killstreaks
in one hit if it gets the shot in. On the other hand, however, this is truly an
all or nothing launcher; it can shoot down enemy killstreaks better then
anything else in the game, but cannot do anything else, so if you use it you
must rely on your primary for "the rest of the time".
One man with a Stinger can single-handidly shoot down any killstreak except for
the Opsrey Gunner and Support Airdrop (both Ospreys have two sets of flares)
and an AC-130, which also has two sets of flares as well as the player probably
actively targetting you the moment they see your smoke trail. The Pave Low is
also difficult to shoot down by yourself, as it has two guns with a wide area
of attack, is extremely sensitive to enemy presence, and has one set of flares,
making it very difficult to shoot it down without exposing yourself (which you
must do to lock on) lethaly.
Javelin
-------
The last lock-on capable launcher is the Javelin, a bulky, expensive (at least
in real life) "smart" missile launcher. Pointing it at the ground will cause it
to lock onto a spot, if you are far enough away; fire off the rocket and it
will go up then streak back down where you launched it (as long as you are far
away enough), with the same explosive radius as a Predator missile. This sounds
good and all, but the missile takes forever to get to the targeted area and
takes forever to lock on, and for all its pluses it's only really good for
"shelling" an area and hoping for a kill in this respect.
In terms of shooting down killstreaks, the Javelin works like a slower (but not
SMAV slow), single-rocket launcher with a longer lock-on time. It may not be
able to shoot things as quickly as the Stinger, and may have only one rocket,
but once it is in the air, its rockets are equally lethal to enemy air
support, with the added bonus of being very slightly less supseptible to flares
(they may circle around and hit it anyway accidentally).
The rocket needs a bit of area in front to launch, and then more above as it
shuttles itself up for positioning. Be sure to provide it with the space it
needs, or you WILL kill yourself.
Tactics
-------
When shooting down enemy killstreaks, pay attention to them. You'll know a
helicopter is targetting you if it starts turning around in your direction,
and you'll know an enemy player is going to target you the moment your first
misile leaves your launcher. Some killstreaks you don't need to excercise any
caution with, such as a UAV; with others, extreme caution is advised, as with
a Pave Low and AC-130. If you are trying to take down a high-end killstreak,
having Blind Eye helps immensely; it allows you to shoot down AI-controlled
killstreaks freely, and makes you harder to hit for player-controlled ones.
The most difficult thing about shooting down enemy killstreaks is finding them.
The air is a spacious realm; there's a lot of space for them to fly. In some
cases, the minimap helps with this, displaying the direction in which it is and
allowing you to target it without many problems. In others, as with the UAV,
Counter-UAV, and Advanced UAV, finding them is the primary difficulty; they're
not visible on the minimap and thus you must scroll around the sky to find
them, and if they are hidden behind buildings, cannot shoot them down at all.
The last thing to avoid is killing yourself. You can do this by targetting an
enemy killstreak, getting a lock-on sound, and then following it through a wall
and shooting. You will shoot the wall, causing the missile to explode and
probably kill you. Javelins are especially subceptible to this, as they need
the most amount of space to fire, have the largest explosive radius, and can
fire within range of hitting something without you realizing it (ae. hitting
the edge of the roof you are firing from under).
Rocket launchers
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Everything in the game that does damage can hurt a killstreak; it's more of a
question of what's practical and what's not. Shooting a Reaper or AC-130 with
your gun, for instance, is counterproductive, as not only do you do nearly no
damage but it clearly outlines where you are so the operator can guide a neat
cannot shot or Predator missile onto you.
By "Rocket launchers" I really mean RPG-7, as this is the only rocket launcher
in the game incapable of locking onto aircraft. The reason for this is that it
gets two rockets in return for losing the capacity, making it a mean
anti-infantry weapon. The rockets are also fairly inaccurate, but if a
helicopter passes close by you you can hit it and damage it for your team.
Regular helicopters can be shot down with a full magazine of fire after getting
hit by an RPG or the SMAW.
Grenade Launchers
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grenade Launcher are very much anti-infantry weapons, and do less damage
against airstreaks then against the infantry they *should* be targeting.
Nonetheless, Grenade Launchers can be used to tack damage onto low-flying
killstreaks. Each grenade does about 200 impact + explosion damage; the M320
GLM, M203, M320, and GP-25 each fire these off one at a time. The XM25's
airburst grenades do less damage then those of the others, but they have less
of a curved trajectory, and you get four, with which you can rap up about 350
to 400 damage. Overall, though, unless the chopper is already smoking, grenades
won't do much.
Bullets
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bullets hurt things, and enough of them can kill things. All killstreaks save
the AC-130 and Reaper feel bullets. Therefore, concentrated fire by your team
will bring any killstreak down. The best guns for doing this are LMGs, which
carry the most ammo and have the largest magazines, followed by Assault Rifles,
Submachine Guns, Sniper Rifles, Pistols, Submachine Guns...you get the picture.
UAVs, Counter-UAVs, and Advanced UAVs all have 700 health, which means that
they take 7 times the bullets it would take to kill a person. Once you spot it,
therefore, a UAV can be brought down with a mag from an Assault Rifle or part
of one from an LMG. If you have Scavenger Pro, you will not mind sinking a
magazine into deleting a source of the enemy's intelligence over you.
If you are carrying a SMAW, hitting an Attack Helicopter with a Launcher and
then finishing it with your main weapon is the modus operai, as the hit will
will leave it with 500 health. Concentrated team fire can bring down an Attack
Helicopter from full health to nill if needed.
Assault Drones are generally brought down by massed fire from several people,
so one can say that "bullets" are generally what kills them. The same is true
for Recon Drones, which have very low health and fly quite low, if they notice
them before the Recon user can tag and flash the player.
The two Juggernauts are also generally brought down by bullets, but generally
only after an extended firefight with several people.
SAM Turret and other killstreaks
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For information on this see the respective sections in: SAM Turret, Predator
(Shooting other killstreaks), Reaper (Shooting other killstreaks), AC-130
(Shooting other killstreaks), Osprey Gunner (Shooting other killstreaks), and
Remote Sentry (Shooting other killstreaks).
EMP grenades, EMPs, and MOABs
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EMP effects are much more common in Modern Warfare 3 then they were in Modern
Warfare 2, as they are now being pulled out of the realm of a single, underused
killstreak, the EMP, into three different effects. The basics of an EMP is that
it is an electromagnetic pulse that scrambles the electricty of whatever is
near it, ruining its circuitry and causing it to lose control and crash (if
flying) or spark up and fail to do anything if it's on the ground. Think of it
as akin to throwing a giant bucket of water at your computer.
EMP grenade
-----------
EMP grenades are underrated by most people, mostly because they don't know how
to use them. Equipping an EMP grenade instead of a Flash or Stun gives you one
grenade, as opposed to two with flash/stun, the two most commonly used
pieces of equipment. Throwing a Flash or a Stun at, for instance, a Sentry Gun
will temporarily disable it; the EMP grenade says "screw that" and, as long as
whatever you were aiming at was within blast radius, it will destroy any piece
of enemy equipment it hits. That means that it can, in one go, destroy: Sentry
Guns, Recon Drones, the I.M.S. (by far the easiest way), SAM Turrets, and
Remote Sentries. It can also destroy the more heavily armored Assault Drone,
but you have to hit it directly to do so, otherwise it does just a shitload of
damage (although taking it out after a near-miss should be much easier). It can
also destroy enemy equipment, like Claymores, Bouncing Betties, Trophy Systems,
and Bouncing Betties, but if these are explosives they will explode, and it's
generally better to just shoot them and not waste a grenade on them.
That by itself is very situational, but the EMP grenade can also be used as a
weaker flash - when thrown at a player, it flashes them for a second or so, and
then imparts a "local EMP effect", causing their screen to go Barebones,
without a minimap or anything, disabling all electronics like Red Dot and
Heartbeat, and make their screen granier for a whole 10 seconds. For the
duration of those 10 seconds you will have a combat edge that depends on how
"teched up" they were - Red Dot/Holographic users especially suffer, as they
have a harder time aiming. Overall, the EMP grenade is great in good hands.
See this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftL98l0sEoo
EMPs and MOABs
--------------
EMPs and MOABs both create an EMP blast in the sky, whiting out everyone's
screen for a couple of seconds and then, depends on what team you're on,
showing a pretty explosion or removing all elements of your HUD, destroying
all active killstreaks besides the Stealth Bomber, Precision Airstrike, and
Ballistic Vests, preventing the affected team from calling streaks, scrambling
and turning off all of their electronic components, and fuzzing everything up
and making their life difficult for 60 seconds. During those 60 seconds your
team should have superiority, as the enemy will not be able to call in much;
but once the 60 seconds are up and their view returns to normal, expect a
flurry of support going up that was hoarded up during those 60 seconds.
MOABs do pretty much the same thing, except that they kill every enemy player,
give the team double XP, and gives the map a permanent red tint as well, even
after the EMP effects have worn off.
{J} Relevant equipment
_______________________________________________________________________________
This section is a laundery list of things that equipment can do to or for point
streaks.
Flash Grenades and Stun Grenades - can temporarily disable ground point streaks
for about 2 seconds.
EMP Grenades - covered above in its own section, the best anti-killstreak
equipment.
Semtex and Frag Grenades - both do their respective damage to enemy point
streaks.
C4 - if a pack is placed near a ground killstreak, the C4 will deal the 1000
damage needed to destroy it. Semtex, Claymores, Bouncing Betties, and Throwing
Knives all fail to do so.
Trophy System - the Trophy System is mainly notable for being able to shoot a
Predator missile, Reaper missile, or AC-130 shot right out of the sky before it
hits the ground. Thus it can be used to ruin enemy's killstreaks. The AC-130
can bully through anyway, the Reaper missile can fire off more if it needs to,
but the Predator missile is wasted completely. Note that every Trophy System
can take out two projectiles.
Scrambler - it makes enemy radars in an area fuzzy, but more importantly and
suprisingly, it gives any players within its radius the effect of Blind Eye.
Thus you can drop it on the ground and then waltz out and shoot down a Pave Low
or something similar with ease.
{K} Relevant perks
_______________________________________________________________________________
Another laundary list, this time of the effects different perks have on
killstreaks - some obvious, some not.
Sleigh of Hand (Pro)
- Makes it easier to use missile launchers, as the cut on reload time affords
you an extra second overall. This mean's you'll be able to get the shot ahead
of the enemy more often then you would otherwise.
Scavenger (Pro)
- Makes it practical to shoot down enemy UAVs, Counter-UAVs, and Advanced UAVs
with just the bullets in your gun.
Blind Eye (Pro)
- Well this one's prettty obvious:
"Undetectable by air support and sentries."
"Launchers lock-on faster. Extra bullet damage versus air support and
sentries."
Blast Shield (Pro)
- Prevents airdrop trap explosions from being lethal to you, makes the kill
radius of all explosive point streaks slightly smaller, and the pro effect
reduces the length of the Recon Drone tagging flash.
Hardline (Pro)
- Lets you access your killstreaks earlier. The lower your killstreaks the
greater the benefit; on Assault, for instance, it drops getting a UAV 33%,
compared to only 8% off on an AC-130 (in terms of kills). Is an absolute shoe
in for Specialist, which can then get any other streak the user wants after
just a single kill. The Pro perk is also great for people that you just
barely don't get a kill on or run away from you, making getting point streaks
easier.
- The Pro perk makes two assists go down as kills, also useful for the Recon
Drone, which gets plenty of assists from tagging people.
Assassin (Pro)
- Also obvious:
"Undetectable by UAV, portable radar, thermal and heartbeat sensors."
"Immune to CUAV and EMP. No red crosshair or name when targeted."
The first effect is great, it suprises people that run into you expecting no
one there because their UAV checked out clean. Note that having the Pro
effect still does not allow you to call in killstreaks.
SitRep
- "Detect enemy explosives and tactical insertions." This means you can always
differenciate between real Care Packages and fake ones.
{L} Team coordination
_______________________________________________________________________________
Two people armed with Stingers can scrub the skies clear of any and all enemy
killstreaks. It really is that simple. Of course if your team is not
coordinated enough for that you hit troubles.
Microphones are extremely useful in Modern Warfare 3. With them you can
coordinate with your team, none the least in terms of what's in the air. When
using Stingers against things with flares, I tend to yap "Stinger away" on the
mic to notify my team that how many more shots are needed to get it. Osprey
Gunners and Escort Airdrops and AC-130s all have 3 sets of flares, so they need
more then one person to down; meaning, team coordination is KEY.
{M} Mythbusters
_______________________________________________________________________________
There are some common killstreak-related myths. I may or may not debunk them;
if you would like to be helpful, you can help me and this guide by testing
them =)
Myth 1: An Assault Drone can be destroyed by a simple EMP grenade.
Status: CONFIRMED - As long as the EMP is a direct hit, it can destroy a full
health drone without any trouble, ruining their 10-killstreak reward - and
their spirits.
Myth 2: It is possible to take down an enemy AC-130 with a single Stinger
Launcher.
Status: BUSTED
With both Blind Eye Pro and Sleigh of Hand, possible with
the Specialist killstreaks equipped, you will be able to reload and relaunch
your second Stinger four times as fast as normally allowed, but it's still not
enough to outshoot its flares.
Myth 3: You can destroy an enemy Osprey or Helicopter by firing a Javelin at
a spot on the ground below it.
Status: UNCONFIRMED - Javelins in general are less sensitive to flares because
of their flight pattern, making this one plausible, pending testing.
Myth 4: A Trophy system will destroy Predator Missiles and AC-130 shots.
Status: CONFIRMED - Yep, and it's devilishly useful too if someone is targeting
you - just plop it down and laugh in their faces. An AC-130 will still get you,
though, as it has several cannons at its disposal.
Myth 5: An I.M.S. will shoot down a Recon Drone.
Status: CONFIRMED - Here's a video of it in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcpBU0yuM8M. Quite suprising if I say so myself.
Myth 6: An Opsrey Gunner or Escort Osprey Marker can be nullified if its marker
is nuetralized by a Trophy System.
Status: CONFIRMED - unfortunatly, I learned this the hard way.
Myth 7: You can blow an Osprey if you call it in the same time a teammate calls
a chopper.
Status: CONFIRMED. Another thing I learned the hard way, although thankfully
harder to do. The reason this works is that the smoke marker doesn't count as
activated until it hits the ground and sets off a red plume, but if it is
nullified in midair by the presence of a chopper, you don't get your smoke
marker back.
{N} Airspaces
_______________________________________________________________________________
Unlike in Modern Warfare 2, you cannot chain airspace. For instance, if there
is already an Attack Helicopter in the air, you cannot call in a Pave Low - it
will tell you the airspace is too crowded, and where in Modern Warfare 2 you
could have the Pave Low quene up and arrive when the current chopper left, in
MW3 you have to call it in manually later. Note that you can call in another
killstreak as soon as the current one turns around to leave, not when it leaves
the minimap, which takes a while longer. This sections covers the individual
airspaces, which can be occupied by either team's streaks. If you cannot call
something in because the air is too crowded already, you will get the message
"Airspace too crowded."
The most important airspace is the Helicopter one, occupied by: Attack
Helicopter, Pave Low, Escort Airdrop, Osprey Gunner. If you hold an Escort
Airdrop and a friendly chopper is in the air, you should request the next slot
(via chat or microphone), and your teammates will likely honor your request (or
if they are faggots they will not). Enemy helis can be shot down by friendlies.
The real pinch is when you get it at the end of the game, or hold it to the end
of the game hoping for a final kill with it (for the achievements). Then you
have to hope whatever friendly helo is in the air, it will be shot down (how
distasteful) so you can at least notch your stick and call in your thing. This
is another negative change from MW2; stacked helicopters would give point
irregardless of wether they ever got the chance to deploy at the end of the
round in Modern Warfare 2, eliminating this problem.
AC-130s, Strafe Runs, and Reapers both occupy their own individual niches, and
only one can be up at a time. Bombing runs come in twos, and all other
airstreaks can be in the air three at a time; all ground killstreaks are
unlimited in number.
The most common and fearsome "combo" is a Reaper and an AC-130 up,
simotaneously.
{O} Relevant Achievements
_______________________________________________________________________________
Note that Game Winning Killcam achievements only apply to game modes where the
object is to kill everyone else, so Sabotage, Demolition, Domination, etcetera
are all excluded.
37 - Flyswatter - Shoot down an enemy helicopter. - Basic
You will definetly get this early on; I got it on maybe my fifth game or so?
39 - Cluster Bomb - Kill 5 players with a single airstrike - Hard
What it fails to mention is that Airstrike means Precision Airstrike, and it
is doubtfull five players are in a line formation often enough and long enough
to net you such an achievement.
42 - The Denier - Kill an enemy before they get a level 10 or higher
killstreak. - Medium
Play the game and you'll get this eventually.
45 - Absentee Killer - Get the game winning Killcam with a Sentry Gun - Medium
The difficulty is the timing-your gun has a very short window for getting that
last kill, and Sentry Guns are hardly reliable in kill versus time. If you are
going for this, you may want to stack Sentry Guns and then deploy them all (or
one of them in a high traffic area at the end of the match).
47 - Bomb's Away! - Kill 6 enemies with a single Stealth Bomber. - Hard
Easier to get then Cluster Bomb because the Stealth Bomber is far more lethal,
but suffers from the same problem. Still, people have managed it; I even
remember one instance in Modern Warfare 2 where a lucky airstrike wiped the
entire enemy team across the floor, all 8 players.
50 - Afterburner - Call an airstrike two times in a single match. - Easy
Equip Precision Airstrike and build a killstreak twice. Or, use a Stealth
Bomber as your end-level Support killstreak, and play Sabotage/Domination.
51 - Death from Above - Get the game-winning killcam with an AC-130 - Medium
If you are aiming to get this, hold your AC-130s until only 1000 or so points
are left to the match, to increase the likelyhood the last one will be yours.
The difficulty in this is that AC-130s are difficult to get.
54 - Wargasm - Get all three killstreak rewards within 20 seconds - Medium
This is deceptively hard. Equip a UAV, Care Package, and Predator Missile, and
rush. You will get it sooner rather then later.
58 - Techno Killer - Get the game-winning killcam with a Stealth Bomber- Medium
This is probably the easiest of them to get, with proper timing and good
placement. This is because the Stealth Bomber kills multiple people in a very
short period of time, so it will stack kills quickly enough to pull you a
finish with 300 points left.
59 - OG - Get the game-winning killcam with an Attack Helicopter - Medium
Hold the Attack Heli until near the end of the match and hope you get lucky.
60 - Smile for the Camera - Get a game-winning killcam with a Pred - Medium
This is easier to get then a lot of the others, as you can call it in and score
1+ kills within a reliable period of time near the end of the match, and you
can use boosters/not boosting to wait out the kills-to-win decreasing to 1, and
then killing in that window.
64 - Top Gun - Call in two helicopters in a single match - Medium
Get a 9-killstreak with an AH-6 and Attack Helicopter selected. Easy.
74 - Transformer - Get the game-winning killcam with a Pave Low - Medium
One of the easier ones, call in a Pave Low near the end of the match and hope
it gets that last kill - there is a good chance it will.
85 - Heads Up! - Kill an enemy by dropping a crate on them. - Medium
This used to be sickly hard - how oblivious do you have to be to get a crate
dropped on your head? - but with the addition of the new Drop Zone community
mode, it's only a matter of time before this happens.
86 - Droppin' Crates - Get the game-winning killcam by a dropping a crate on an
enemy - Hard
This, on the other hand, is still extremely hard, and remains one of the most
difficult ones in the game - although perhaps not the MOST difficult as it was
in Modern Warfare 2.
112 - Toxic - Get killed by an enemy M.O.A.B. - Easy
Just a matter of time before you land in a noob enough lobby or bad enough
Hacker for this to happen to you.
115 - UAV Rays - Counter the enemy's UAV three times in a single match. -
Easy
Run a low-level support killstreak with a Counter-UAV, time it when the enemy
gets a UAV, and you will get this within one or two games.
134 - Behind Enemy Lines - Get a 10 killstreak with 0 killstreaks selected. -
Medium
Deselect all of your streaks, get your best class, and go play TDM. You'll get
this soon enough, it depends on how good you are. Mostly, getting this takes
knowing it exists, as you shouldn't run nothing for any other reason.
162-168 - Sentry Gun, Predator Missile, Precision Airstrike, Attack Helicopter,
Pave Low, Stealth Bomber, AC130 - Hard
You have to get 1000 kills with these guys after prestiging, with takes a
loooong time.
199-225 - Call in [some number] [some killstreak] - Medium
The number ranges from 150 for low-level killstreaks to 40 for high ones.
Getting this takes time, but not as much as getting 1000 kills!
IV. Contact information
_______________________________________________________________________________
I can be contacted at a[underscore]bilogur[at]yahoo[dot]com. Feel free to ask
me things or, even better, suggest an addition or correction this guide, but I
will not respond to flaming, junk, or questions already answered in this guide.
V. Copyright
_______________________________________________________________________________
This guide is (C) 2011 jimmythesnowman. This may be not be reproduced under
any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on
any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written
permission.
VI. Thank yous
_______________________________________________________________________________
Thanks goes to me for writing this guide, GameFAQs for hosting it, and to
whichever one of you brave souls decides to make a worthwhile contribution to
this little old guide!
_______________________________________________________________________________
======= END =======
_______________________________________________________________________________